Rich DeVos - Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People

As I think about celebrating my ninetieth birthday, I would describe the velocity of my years as zero to ninety in ten seconds. Ninety years sound like a long time until theyre behind you. But its not really how fast time goes that matters but how wisely we use the precious time that God has given us.

After almost nine decades, I can reflect on the whirlwind of activity and thank God for blessing my life far beyond what some would simply describe as luck. I look back on a few, but very important, gifts that have been constants in my life, and Im amazed at how theyre all connected in His plan.

I was raised in a home that was short on material things but long on love. I grew up in an encouraging atmosphere that taught me nothing is more valuable than love for one another and a strong faith in God. I had the benefit of a Christian home and a Christian church and school. My wife, Helen, and I have been married for more than sixty years, have raised four children, and have been blessed with their spouses, sixteen grandchildren and their spouses, and five great grandchildren. Ive never taken for granted the gift of a loving family and try never to miss opportunities to tell my wife, children, and grandchildren how much they mean to me.

Another constant in my life has been maintaining a positive attitude and affirming others. The value of using simple phrases to be positive and helping others be positive was crystallized for me by a very dear friend of mine, the late Billy Zeoli. I was well aware of the power of phrases, but he presented them in an especially clear and dynamic way. I decided that rather than just adopt them casually, I would use the phrases by design.

The purpose of this book is to help you, too, keep positive phrases top of mind and in your vocabulary, to help you be a life enrichersomeone who encourages other people in your life.

The late Dr. D. James Kennedy of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, used to say to me, You are the most positive person I have ever known. I was thankful for that, because thats what I was trying to be. And he was well aware that I appreciated him and was encouraging him to keep doing his best and recognizing him for the good job he was doing. Now, thats really not difficult. Its something all of us can do when we make a decision to be a positive person. From the time I gave my very first speech, I was determined to talk about the wonderful things about our society and our world instead of looking for things that were wrong. I wanted to enrich the lives of those in my audiences and beyond.

So Ive been using the phrases that Billy emphasized for me and adding a few of my own, just as I hope you will. My real hope is that they will help you become a positive person who, in turn, will help other people improve their outlook on life. And if we all do so, I truly believe we can make a real change for good in our homes, communities, and world.

Thank you for picking up this book. Im encouraged by your interest in being a positive person. Learn these phrases and use them daily with the people who mean the most to you. Some may be difficult to say, but practice them and you will be rewarded by the results. I truly believe that we all have the power to contribute to a more positive society and world. Best wishes as you carry this out.