It briefly describes a life without God's salvaging power. We may create ingenious ways to cope with the reality of our demise, but the end result will be destruction. The creative power of God is the only thing available for reconstructing our lives. When I was in grammar school this philosophy was taught by the story of a little train going up a steep mountain. It finally accomplishes the seemingly impossible.
Positive attitudes are certainly better than frowns and negative thinking.
There is power in a positive mental attitude, but it will take a bit more than a good attitude to salvage our lives. We may leave the impression that all you have to do to solve your problems is develop the ability to smile through every difficulty. It certainly may make your world appear to be brighter, but a smile has no power to solve your real problems. Some people think the power to make the world a better place comes through the ability to see what is wrong with our fellowman and the world. There is no power in one's ability to see what is wrong.