“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.”

— William James, American psychologist and philosopher

That is a lesson that all of us should keep in mind in life, especially when it comes to making a difference in our community and seeking to promote positive changes happening around us.

Certainly this should be the case when it comes to the efforts by St. Mary’s Medical Center, the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization and other partners’ efforts to develop a new health care facility in Ironton.

Too many people are quick to point out why this project could fail, shouldn’t happen or simply may not meet some expectations they have created in their own minds.

It is far more constructive to look toward the future and ask if a positive attitude can make the difference when it comes to this project that could ultimately bring some form of hospital back to Lawrence County.

If we constantly focus on the negative, talk about all that could go wrong, look for the worst case scenario, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Nothing good will ever happen if we — as a community — don’t believe it is possible and work together toward that outcome.

This may be idealistic but it certainly doesn’t mean that everything will happen automatically or that everything we would like to see will come to fruition.

But it is a start that will promote the right mind set that initiates progress.

The project was announced last year, just a few months before the economy dropped to almost unprecedented lows. So it is not overly shocking that this project has been slowed.

It is happening across America in nearly every industry. But that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t or won’t happen.

Every scenario in life requires planning, preparation, hard work, perseverance and commitment.

Hopefully all parties involved will show these traits when it comes to this project that would mean additional health care opportunities, quality jobs and, perhaps most important, a renewed pride and belief that Ironton and Lawrence County can stop looking back and achieve and even brighter future.

But it all starts with a positive attitude and we shouldn’t doom ourselves from the start. If we truly believe something will succeed, then the chances of that becoming reality are improved right from the start.