A small boy was auditioning with his classmates for a school play. His mother knew that he'd set his heart on being in the play -- just like all the other children hoped -- and she feared how he would react if he was not chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, the little boy's mother went to the school gates to collect her son. The boy rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement.

“Guess what, Mom?” he shouted, and then said some words that provide a lesson to us all: “I've been chosen to clap and cheer.”

Not everyone gets to play the part they want, but a positive attitude like this little boy’s goes a long way.

I am an eternal optimist. I firmly believe that there is hardly anything we can’t do if we set our minds to it. It helps to be realistic -- I know I am never going to pitch in the World Series, but I can be a player/manager of a top-notch company. I took a big gamble getting my company off the ground, but I’ve never looked back.

All the technology in the world will never replace a positive attitude. It’s good to know that a positive attitude can be booted up anywhere, anytime, by anyone.

In these uncertain times, we are bombarded by bad news and human misery, criticism and pessimism, so it’s understandable that we all get a little down from time to time. Fight it. I have never met a successful pessimist.

The mind can convince competent people that they are incompetent, or conversely that merely adequate performers are highly talented. Unfortunately, self-doubt and negative attitudes seem to have a more powerful influence on the mind than positive attitudes.

So, concentrate on developing a positive attitude. Here are some ideas.

-- Savor pleasure. We are good about experiencing pleasure at special events like parties, but try and focus your attention on pleasant daily things as they occur. Celebrate the little things.

-- Practice gratitude. It takes only two words to say, “Thank you.” It takes only one word to say, “Please.” It’s so easy to say thank you, and it can have such a powerful impact. Gratitude should be a continuous attitude. Have you told the people around you how grateful you are for their roles in your life? You might be surprised at how they respond -- perhaps because no one has ever told them they’ve made a difference.

-- Emphasize the positive. Attitudes are contagious, and you will be a welcome carrier of this condition! A Harvard Special Health Report published in Positive Psychology found that older people tend to minimize the negative, accept their limitations and use their experience to compensate. The earlier in life that people adopt these practices, the better they sustain a positive attitude.

-- Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity makes a person look at the land of milk and honey and see only calories and cholesterol.

-- Try to make other people happy. Consider how you would like to be treated and try to put yourself in their place. Look for win-win situations where everyone can have a positive outcome.

-- Listen to other ideas and give others credit. There is no “i” in team, but there are two i’s in positive. It means that “I” must be positive to help my team be positive, and to perform our best.

-- Focus on what you get to do. As the song says, “You can’t always get what you want,” but usually you can get some satisfaction. Focus on small victories as well as major ones.

-- Practice handling rejection. If there is anything that can get you down, it’s being constantly rejected. Rejection is a fact of life. It’s going to happen. Don’t take it personally. Learn from it, but don’t wallow in it. Rejection doesn’t have to be permanent.

It’s like the old farmer who was celebrating his 90th birthday. He'd seen it all -- the Dust Bowl, years of flooding rains and scorching heat, banks taking back mortgages on every farm in the county. But through it all, he'd remained positive and determined, even downright cheerful. His family and friends pressed him for his secret to maintain his optimism.

“It ain't so hard,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “I just learned early on to cooperate with the inevitable.”

Violet is chasing Charlie Brown in a “Peanuts” cartoon yelling, “It’s no use running! I’ll get you! I’ll knock your block off!”

Charlie then turns around and says, “Wait a minute! Hold everything! We can’t carry on like this! We have no right to act this way ... The world is filled with problems ... People hurting other people ... People not understanding other people ... Now, if we, as children, can’t solve what are relatively minor problems, how can we ever expect to ..."

In the next frame Violet punches Charlie Brown and explains to her friend, “I had to hit him quick ... He was beginning to make sense!”

Unlike most of us, Violet clearly is not afraid of confrontation. I suspect that most people would prefer to avoid confrontation. It is more in our nature to get out of the way.

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who saw his share of confrontation on the field, said, “I don’t like confrontation.” He’s on Team Charlie Brown.

But NFL coaching great Bill Parcells disagrees, saying, “I think confrontation is healthy, because it clears the air very quickly.” Score one for Team Violet.

Confrontations can be difficult, but they are a very essential aspect of relationships. The most essential aspect of confrontation is honest communication, clarity and confession.

When confrontation is handled properly, it establishes clear lines of communication. It should never be about punishing or humiliating people. You want to express yourself without blaming others.

Duke University basketball Hall-of-Famer Mike Krzyzewski said, “Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on.”

It starts with overcoming your fear of confrontation. Most of us think of confrontation in negative terms -- people who are assertive, aggressive, hostile and so on. We’re focused on the outcome instead of the issues. One of the best ways to overcome your fear of confrontation is to prepare for it. What do you want to say? Think about what you want to accomplish from the conversation. What is your goal? Do you want to make a specific point?

If you enter any confrontation in attack mode, chances are you’re not going to get a satisfactory result.

Glenn Van Ekeren in his book “Little Leadership Lessons ... From an Old Guy” outlines some simple yet profound considerations he has found useful that I would like to expound on.

Be factual. Do you have the complete story, including the other side? If not, ask and then listen. Avoid rumors and perceptions.

Be fair. Confrontation is not a ticket for personal attack. It should always be about the issues. Accept responsibility if you were in the wrong. Don’t make it into a competition. Look for solutions together. Keep in control of your emotions.

Be firm and honest. Too often, people hide their feelings and bite their tongue because they don’t want to offend anyone. It’s the wrong approach. Tell it as you see it -- with tact and compassion. People will appreciate your honesty.

Be respectful and polite. Be approachable, pleasant and nonargumentative. Let people know you appreciate and care about them. Be calm. Don’t lose your cool. I repeat, don’t make it personal.

If all else fails and the other person isn’t willing to have a constructive conversation, it’s OK to simply walk away and revisit things at a later time, when both parties have had time to mull things over.

Of course, there are occasions when immediate action is required, as illustrated by this story. This fanciful legend is told as the transcript of a radio transmission between two different naval operators.

OPERATOR 1: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south, to avoid a collision.

OPERATOR 2: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.

O1: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

02: WE ARE A LARGE NAVAL VESSEL ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, I SAY AGAIN, THAT IS 15 DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTERMEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

O1: We are a lighthouse. Your call.

Mackay’s Moral: You can’t change what you refuse to confront.

I recently came across an old nursery rhyme that lists the six best doctors -- sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends. I’d like to examine each one and why they are special.

Sunlight -- A beautiful sunny day boosts everyone’s spirits. Vitamin D from sunshine doesn’t hurt, either. Sunlight is one of the reasons why I’m a snowbird from Minnesota who winters in Arizona.

Rest -- As I get older, the power of rest becomes more important. In fact, rest is important at any age. We lead such busy lives, and I’ve certainly been a culprit of trying to cram as many things into my life as possible. I always joked that I want this epitaph on my tombstone: “He couldn’t sleep fast enough.” I’ve always been afraid that I might miss something. Forget it. Get your rest.

Exercise -- All kinds of studies show that working out is good, but I don’t need a study to tell me about exercise. I’ve been exercising all my life. It just makes me feel better, gives me energy to work more productively and, I hope, live longer. My philosophy is: Exercise doesn’t take time; it makes time.

Back in the 1960s, I attended Stanford University for three months for its Graduate School of Business Executive Program. Many people in the program were addicted to running, and they asked me to join them. I agreed, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve been a runner ever since and have run 10 marathons. Now I play a lot of golf. And I walk the courses whenever possible.

Diet -- Eating a healthy diet is all about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health and boosting your mood. Good nutrition, physical activity and healthy body weight are essential parts of a person’s overall health and well-being.

Self-confidence -- Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet many people don’t believe in themselves as they should, and they find it difficult to become successful. Confidence enables you to perform to the best of your abilities, without the fear of failure holding you back. It starts with believing in yourself.

Confidence doesn’t come naturally to most people. Even the most successful people have struggled with it in their careers. The good news is that you can develop confidence, just like any muscle or character trait, if you’re willing to work hard.

Friends -- I can’t imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn’t had such loyal and true friends. I am fortunate to number among my friends several classmates from first grade, as well as people I just met. My friends have saved my bacon over and over again. A few have actually saved my life.

Friendship is like a bank account: You cannot continue to draw on it without making deposits. That’s why I say the best vitamin for making friends is B1. We have wonderful opportunities to make friends wherever we go. I jump at those opportunities! I love meeting new people because I get a different view of the world.

A fascinating study from Harvard University tracked the physical and emotional health of 700 people. They followed these people and tested them (e.g., blood samples, brain scans) for 75 years. The primary conclusion: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.

That reminds me of a quote commonly attributed to John Lennon: “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

Mackay’s Moral: Taking care of yourself is the best way to take care of others.