The Power of Positive Action: Your Guide to Maximum Happiness and Personal Achievement
Overview
Alfred A. Montapert’s The Power of Positive Action presents a clear proposition: happiness and achievement flow from disciplined thought translated into consistent, ethical action. Rather than celebrating optimism as a mood, Montapert treats it as a deliberate practice rooted in purpose, responsibility, and the steady application of simple, repeatable habits. The book blends practical counsel with moral reflection, arguing that success is not accidental but the predictable result of obeying life’s “laws” concerning character, effort, and attitude.
From Thought to Action
Montapert distinguishes between favorable thinking and effective doing. Attitudes shape perception, but decisions and habits shape outcomes. He emphasizes choosing goals that harmonize with one’s values, breaking them into concrete steps, and beginning immediately with what is at hand. Action, he insists, clarifies intention, builds momentum, and disarms fear. Progress depends on a willingness to decide, to commit, and to remain accountable for consequences, adjusting course without abandoning purpose.
Character and Responsibility
At the heart of the program is self-mastery. Montapert links integrity, self-discipline, and courage to lasting success, arguing that shortcuts erode the very foundations of achievement. Responsibility is presented as empowering rather than burdensome: when individuals claim authorship of their choices, they reclaim the freedom to improve them. He treats honesty, reliability, and respect for others as productive assets, not merely private virtues, because trust accelerates cooperation and opportunity.
Overcoming Inner Obstacles
The book addresses fears, envy, resentment, and procrastination as common saboteurs. Montapert urges readers to replace self-defeating narratives with constructive self-talk, to reduce overwhelming tasks into first steps, and to regard setbacks as information rather than verdicts. Emotional storms pass more quickly, he argues, when one returns to purposeful activity. The practice of gratitude and a refusal to compare oneself destructively with others restore equilibrium and focus.
Work, Excellence, and Discipline
Montapert treats work as the laboratory of positive action. Excellence is achieved through preparation, attention to detail, and the daily refinement of methods. Time becomes a moral resource: protected from trivial distractions, organized around priorities, and invested where it compounds. He praises persistence but warns against busywork, urging alignment between actions and long-term aims. Improvement is portrayed as iterative, small gains, repeated faithfully, become decisive advantages.
Happiness as Harmony
Happiness, in Montapert’s framing, is not a reward tacked onto success but a quality of life produced by purpose, service, and balance. Health, rest, and simplicity support sustained effort. Generosity, encouragement, and fair dealing enrich both the giver and the community, creating an environment where motivation and goodwill multiply. The book integrates a spiritual sensibility, suggesting that conscience, reverence, and gratitude orient the will toward wiser ends.
Relationships and Influence
Positive action extends to how people speak, listen, and collaborate. Montapert underscores courtesy, empathy, and clear communication as levers of influence. Leadership is portrayed as example before exhortation: others respond to consistency, fairness, and competence. Conflict is best met with patience and principle, seeking solutions that preserve dignity and restore cooperation.
Voice and Lasting Value
Written in aphoristic prose and brief, focused sections, the book functions as both manual and moral compass. Its counsel is concrete, repeatable, and framed as daily practice rather than occasional inspiration. By insisting that optimism must take form in decisions, habits, and service, Montapert offers a durable path toward maximum happiness and personal achievement, one grounded in character, purposeful work, and the steady courage to act.
Alfred A. Montapert’s The Power of Positive Action presents a clear proposition: happiness and achievement flow from disciplined thought translated into consistent, ethical action. Rather than celebrating optimism as a mood, Montapert treats it as a deliberate practice rooted in purpose, responsibility, and the steady application of simple, repeatable habits. The book blends practical counsel with moral reflection, arguing that success is not accidental but the predictable result of obeying life’s “laws” concerning character, effort, and attitude.
From Thought to Action
Montapert distinguishes between favorable thinking and effective doing. Attitudes shape perception, but decisions and habits shape outcomes. He emphasizes choosing goals that harmonize with one’s values, breaking them into concrete steps, and beginning immediately with what is at hand. Action, he insists, clarifies intention, builds momentum, and disarms fear. Progress depends on a willingness to decide, to commit, and to remain accountable for consequences, adjusting course without abandoning purpose.
Character and Responsibility
At the heart of the program is self-mastery. Montapert links integrity, self-discipline, and courage to lasting success, arguing that shortcuts erode the very foundations of achievement. Responsibility is presented as empowering rather than burdensome: when individuals claim authorship of their choices, they reclaim the freedom to improve them. He treats honesty, reliability, and respect for others as productive assets, not merely private virtues, because trust accelerates cooperation and opportunity.
Overcoming Inner Obstacles
The book addresses fears, envy, resentment, and procrastination as common saboteurs. Montapert urges readers to replace self-defeating narratives with constructive self-talk, to reduce overwhelming tasks into first steps, and to regard setbacks as information rather than verdicts. Emotional storms pass more quickly, he argues, when one returns to purposeful activity. The practice of gratitude and a refusal to compare oneself destructively with others restore equilibrium and focus.
Work, Excellence, and Discipline
Montapert treats work as the laboratory of positive action. Excellence is achieved through preparation, attention to detail, and the daily refinement of methods. Time becomes a moral resource: protected from trivial distractions, organized around priorities, and invested where it compounds. He praises persistence but warns against busywork, urging alignment between actions and long-term aims. Improvement is portrayed as iterative, small gains, repeated faithfully, become decisive advantages.
Happiness as Harmony
Happiness, in Montapert’s framing, is not a reward tacked onto success but a quality of life produced by purpose, service, and balance. Health, rest, and simplicity support sustained effort. Generosity, encouragement, and fair dealing enrich both the giver and the community, creating an environment where motivation and goodwill multiply. The book integrates a spiritual sensibility, suggesting that conscience, reverence, and gratitude orient the will toward wiser ends.
Relationships and Influence
Positive action extends to how people speak, listen, and collaborate. Montapert underscores courtesy, empathy, and clear communication as levers of influence. Leadership is portrayed as example before exhortation: others respond to consistency, fairness, and competence. Conflict is best met with patience and principle, seeking solutions that preserve dignity and restore cooperation.
Voice and Lasting Value
Written in aphoristic prose and brief, focused sections, the book functions as both manual and moral compass. Its counsel is concrete, repeatable, and framed as daily practice rather than occasional inspiration. By insisting that optimism must take form in decisions, habits, and service, Montapert offers a durable path toward maximum happiness and personal achievement, one grounded in character, purposeful work, and the steady courage to act.
The Power of Positive Action: Your Guide to Maximum Happiness and Personal Achievement
An empowering guide to cultivating a positive mindset and taking action to achieve happiness and success in personal and professional endeavors.
- Publication Year: 1991
- Type: Book
- Genre: Self-help
- Language: English
- View all works by Alfred A. Montapert on Amazon
Author: Alfred A. Montapert

More about Alfred A. Montapert
- Occup.: Philosopher
- From: USA
- Other works: