M.D. Chapter 1 Build Mental Capital Mental energy is the basic foundation of success. Look at corporate titans such as Michael Eisner, Martha Stewart, and Jack Welch, or world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair, and Margaret Thatcher, or super moms from Maria Von Trapp to Barbara Bush. High mental energy is what they all have or had in common. Compare your work output the morning after taking a red-eye to that after a refreshing night's sleep. It's brain energy that makes the difference.
Success is in the genes.
Mental energy fuels success. When you meet many successful people, it's not their actual brain energy that first strikes you, it's their affect. Affect is a more precise, medical term for mood. A highly positive affect acts as the energizer needed to super-charge our thought processes. At work, you will be far more productive and much more likely to be helpful if you are in a positive mood.