Good work, @topdog. Positive thinking helps, but needs to be put in the right context to avoid frustration. It is important to stay focused and persistent. On the importance of persistence, the book "The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives" by writer Leonard Mlodinow is a must read. It brings evidence of how poorly we evaluate probabilities in everyday issues and the effect of this on expectations.
The subconscious tends to be negative in the face of challenges, and so keep positive thinking helps!