Communication Skills Tip: Positively Positive

In Lanartco’s tip of the week April 1, 2009, I speak about providing positive solutions for our senior leaders. I want to talk more about positivity in today's blog post. When I was in my early twenties, I remember a good friend of mine giving me the book You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought. Peter McWilliams and John-Roger's book outlines the power of our thoughts and underlines how negative thinking can adversely affect our mind, our emotions and our bodies. If negative thinking begets negative results, then wouldn't it be safe to assume that positive thoughts generate positive outcomes? In the current state of our global economy, I know that I can't afford to focus on the negative. It may be shocking to think that someone like me, an educated entrepreneur, is staying away from constant exposure to the media. While it's true it is helpful for me to be aware of the spiral of the week, I certainly don't need to hear the same information spun 100 different ways on 100 different news programs. Despite the fact that my business has taken a hit, I feel incredibly optimistic. My team and I have generated more new leads in the first quarter of this year than we have over the last couple of years combined. I attribute my optimism to the fact that I do not stay mired in the minutiae of negative news or negative thinking. So, how can you stay positive? You start by making the choice to be positive. And for many, that first step is the hardest. Then, a couple of ideas that have worked for me include: exercise to rid the brain of random thoughts; eat whole foods to fuel your body properly; go for plenty of walks to stimulate thinking; and engage yourself in creative activities such as painting, gardening, listening to music, or even making a vision board from magazine cut-outs. Remember you can't afford the luxury of a negative thought. And better yet, your positively positive attitude will lead you to the next big idea. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com