Stock Doc: Bullish Thinking Cap

The wealthy and successful clients I treat in my clinical psychology practice in New York are not particularly good at dealing with setbacks or rejection.

Their thoughts and ideas have never really been challenged by subordinates when faced with tough situations or failure, because, after all, they are the admired leaders.

They feel uncomfortable talking about depression and anxiety, as they believe having those feelings might be considered a sign of weakness. But the reality is that everyone faces difficult issues in their lives and must deal with adversity in an adaptive fashion. The No. 1 quality that differentiates someone who bounces back after a disappointing event from one who crumbles and remains passive is perception.

"Bullish thinking" is the ability to see the sun through the clouds. It is a cognitive technique that I teach my clients to help them maintain emotional discipline in the face of adversity. It helps them get back to the top of their game and prevents them from bringing their bad moods home. Mastering this style of thinking allows them to improve their overall quality of life and reap the financial rewards that they feel they deserve.

How an individual perceives his or her past successes or failures can determine the outcome of similar scenarios in the present. Take the following example of two fictional financial advisers with different reactions -- one bullish, one bearish -- to the same problem.