Have you ever known someone who was always down on their luck and expecting the worst?

When I was younger, that was me. To the world I looked happy because I had a smile on my face. But inside I was always preparing myself for the worst case scenario.

If I accidentally visualized a great outcome I would immediately worry that I’d just jinxed myself and would go back to expecting bad news. And then, when something good did happen to me, it would be a big surprise that I didn’t feel I deserved.

It never occurred to me that I was actually attracting negative energy into my life with my pessimistic thoughts and mental images. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I realized a different way of thinking could change my life.

If it sounds like I’m a late bloomer it’s because I am. But I’m just grateful to be blooming at all. I could have easily stayed in the same depressing mindset I was in and never ventured out at all if I hadn’t eventually clued in. But, as they say, when you know better, you do better.

There are so many more self-help books and programs available to us these days that can help us change our attitudes if that’s what we want. While is some ways the world may feel like it’s become more negative, our ability to empower ourselves and create the lives we want has never been more within our reach.

I’m often asked if I’m always so positive. The answer, unfortunately, is no. I have to work at it. Constantly. Like everyone, crummy stuff happens to me and I feel down in the dumps when it does. But one thing I always did when I was a kid that I still do to this day is try to put things in perspective and compare how much worse off I could be and how fortunate I truly am.

That combination of perspective, gratitude and my newfound expectation of the best instead of the worst has greatly improved my life. I’m not saying my life is perfect, but whose is? There are still many things I’d like to change and improve and I continue to work on that. But instead of thinking of myself as unlucky like I did when I was younger, I think of that quote by playwright Tennessee Williams: “Luck is believing you’re lucky.”

A couple of years ago I met a national treasure named Jean Pare, author of the best-selling cookbooks in Canada. Creator of the hugely successful “Company’s Coming” collection of recipes, she told me that “The harder I work the more luck I have” and that quote has been with me ever since.

With her astonishing rags to riches success story, fuelled by her unwavering perseverance, she became one of my idols that day. I have other idols as well, and every one of them understands that what we put out is what we get back. I feel lucky to know that now.

Lori Welbourne is a syndicated columnist. You can contact her at loriwelbourne.com