The Power of a Positive Mental Attitude: Patrick Devlyn

When I think of people who I admire, I can name a number of people, from a number of different walks of life, who I admire for a variety of reasons.

But one person who I happen to have a great deal of admiration for is also a personal friend. His name is Patrick Devlyn.

If you’re from Mexico, you will most certainly recognize the name “Devlyn”.

Patrick is the Vice-President of Devlyn Opticos, an optometry company whose humble roots go back to a small optical store in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso. That’s where his parents began selling eyeglasses at the end of the 1930s. From that small store, the family business would grow to some 500 stores today, spread across Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

That’s an amazing success story, and is worthy of a book all by itself.

But what stands out about Patrick is something else – something which has no doubt played a key part in the success he and his company have enjoyed.

See, Patrick is without question, the most positive, optimistic person I have ever met.

His energy is infectious, and you just find yourself wanting to be a part of it.

Patrick has a long involvement with Rotary International, and he’s become well-known in those circles (and elsewhere) for his motivational talks. He’s entertaining, he’s sincere, and you can just feel the positive energy radiating from him. He is a true leader.

You can’t help but feel good after listening to Patrick give a speech.

His key message is precisely that – the importance of having a positive mental attitude.

In fact, any time I get the urge to tell somebody about any particular problem that might be bothering me, I just think of something Patrick says.

As he points out, 80% of people don’t care about your problems, and the other 20% secretly take delight in the fact that you’re feeling worse than they are!

It’s a humorous way of looking at it, but he makes a valid point. Besides, negative people attract other negative people, while positive people attract other positive people.

When you stay on a positive track, you find ways to overcome any challenges that may come up. Staying positive is the key to better decisions, better relationships, and better results in all aspects of your life.

Patrick Devlyn is proof positive that a positive mental attitude brings results.