Parking spaces and success

For many months now, I’ve had the privilege of listening to moving stories of business partnerships that have gone horribly wrong as well those that were remarkably successful. A personal survey to my network to find out how to build a successful partnership started an incredible wave of conversations about the dynamics that the bad ones shared and the good ones shared. Of course, everyone wanted to know how to avoid the bad ones and wanted me to report back. The upshot is a book contract AND a wonderful partner in the process.
I could say the cascade effect was a result of an intriguing subject, popular interest, a charismatic personality, but I think there’s a far simpler (and less egotistical) reason that I call the “parking space near the door” syndrome.
Have you ever participated in a conversation where one person insists they always get that coveted space nearest the shopping mall entrance? (I can’t imagine it’s only my friends that fixate on trivia after a few beers.) And another person explains how that’s just luck?
I’d throw out there that the person who gets the coveted space goes right to the front of the parking lot because they’re convinced of their “luck” and act consistently with that belief. If there’s not an open space the first pass, I assume they make another and another pass until a space opens up. That’s the best way to insure you get the desired parking space. As for the other person who doesn’t have the same belief, I would bet they either give up after the first pass or they never even go to the front of the parking lot.
So, my theory is that success is the result of believing in success and then acting consistent with that belief. I mean, someone is parked in that space at the mall entrance. Why not you?