If you’re wondering what PMA means after seeing the headline, don’t worry. I’ll explain everything. Just make sure you read to the end so you can understand and start building your own PMA too.
PMA stands for Positive Mental Attitude. I first learned about it years ago from the legendary American author and motivational speaker, Hilary Hinton, better known as Zig Ziglar. According to Ziglar, no real progress or success can be achieved in life without a positive mental attitude. And I can tell you from personal experience that he was right.
Let me share a story with you.
Years ago, I used to be extremely shy and completely reserved. Then something happened: I developed feelings for someone. I liked her, but I couldn’t bring myself to approach her or even say “hello.” I knew the school she attended, where she lived, where she sat in church, even the kind of car her mum drove. But to talk to her? That was a herculean task.
Why? Because I had no PMA.
In my mind, she was out of my league. I told myself things like, “She’s not my size,” “She’s way above my level.” And once I fed myself those thoughts, I shifted my attention away from something I genuinely wanted. I convinced myself that life had levels and, like the African proverb says, “It’s unwise for a man to place his bag on a part of the wall his hand can’t reach.”
That wasn’t the only time this happened. On another occasion, I liked someone else, but instead of acting confidently and finding out where I stood, I again talked myself out of it: “She comes from a wealthy family,” “She won’t have time for me,” “I need to stick to my class.” So, I let it go.
This kind of thinking had settled deep in my mind until I picked up one of Zig Ziglar’s books. Ironically, I hadn’t even reached the part where he talked about PMA when a friend of mine saw me with the book. He had read it and praised both the book and the author.
One day, my friend and I were outside when a beautiful lady passed by and greeted us. According to my friend, she was a lawyer. Her poise, height, pointed nose, and overall appearance made her look like a true masterpiece of creation. I immediately told my friend, “She’s out of your league. Don’t waste your time.”
He turned to me sharply and said, “I have a good PMA.” He thought I had finished the book, but I had only just started. That day, I rushed to finish the book, and it completely changed my mindset.
Here’s what I learned: Most times, we focus too much on our limitations and forget our strengths. In my earlier examples, I was so focused on what I lacked that I never stopped to consider what I had. I exaggerated the strength of the “opposition” and diminished my own potential. That’s not just a love life issue, it’s a life issue.
Maybe your challenge isn’t with relationships. Maybe you’re doubting yourself in other areas, thinking, “I’m not as beautiful as Kim Kardashian,” or “I’m not as rich as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos.” And you assume that if you were, then you’d finally be able to do certain things or be happy.
That mindset is false.
You can start right now. You can pursue the things you’ve always dreamed of because in life, you miss every shot you don’t take. As popular televangelist Joyce Meyer once said, “The battlefield is in the mind.” If you want to win in life, you must learn to think highly of yourself and reject self-defeating thoughts.
Today, I no longer have a low PMA, and I owe that to my friend and to Zig Ziglar’s wisdom. And you don’t have to live with a low PMA either. Start raising your mental attitude, and you’ll begin doing things you never imagined possible.
Just remember: Everything in life is created twice, first in the mind, and then in reality.
If you can think it, you can definitely do it.
I’m rooting for you.
Hugh Bell is a writer, and former juvenile court probation officer with a passion for spiritual encouragement, moral clarity, and transformative storytelling.
