Think positive. It does work with some degree of regularity and in certain situations, but not 100 percent of the time.
A good friend of mine seeks to prove the positive energy theorem (good things come to those who smile, eliminate negative thoughts and adopt a sunny disposition) this year. His New Year’s resolution was to stop being Mr. Negativity. We’ll see how that turns out.
His big issue is on the golf course. I hadn’t given it much thought, but during a round late last year, I mentioned he should stop being so negative and it might help his golf game. That’s when he sprang on me that he was going to be Mr. Positivity in 2016. If he consistently shaves several strokes from his score, we will have further proof that a change in attitude affects goals and outcomes.
In my mid-20’s, I made a decision to maintain a positive outlook on life. There were conflicting career-related issues getting me down at the time, as well as trying to figure out where I should live, among some other concerns. I found myself dwelling on how to get through them, and having sour thoughts about the future. Reading several books on how to value our humanity, I came across one that discussed how everyone should dig into their core, decide what they are about as a person, establish their values, then live them. One of mine was to stay positive in the face of tough circumstances.
That hasn’t always happened. But for the most part, I keep the cup on the full side, using laughter and other means to help me roll with life’s punches (which get more intense through the years).
The current culture in the U.S. seems to have gone in the exact opposite direction, with whining, complaining and negativity becoming the norm. Everyone loses when we go down that path. In fact, I would argue that – like my friend – if you choose to live the positive life, events will turn out better for you for the most part.
Here’s one example, and all-time favorite: When our two younger children went through middle school, they both played basketball. The gym was small. The crowds could easily make a lot of noise and rock it. A small dedicated group of supportive parents banded together around both teams, and the young student-athletes went onto have tremendous seasons in both 7th and 8th grade.
Was our cheering the sole reason for their success? Absolutely not. At the same time, there were multiple games up from grabs, and when our fans pounded the stands and cheered “DEFENSE” or sustained loud clapping, you could see our kids elevate, speed up, draw energy and attack. It was often a spectacular display of energy, one our televeision-saturated sports world seems to have lost sight of these days.
Positivity makes us think better thoughts. If you watch too much TV news, you get regular negativity. That affects you in a bad way. Watch their use of adjectives, such as “harrowing, horrific, traumatic, divisive, ugly, vengeful, demeaning” and you’ll see how stories are crafted to make you think negatively about events and people, and worry more.
Getting you to worry more is central to their ratings. It’s central to the negative complaining culture in the U.S.
Think positive. Say nice things to people. See what happens as a result. Maybe your golf game improves, or your kid wins her next basketball game. If not, there’s always the next event where you can put on a positive cap and test the theory.
A good friend of mine seeks to prove the positive energy theorem (good things come to those who smile, eliminate negative thoughts and adopt a sunny disposition) this year. His New Year’s resolution was to stop being Mr. Negativity. We’ll see how that turns out.
His big issue is on the golf course. I hadn’t given it much thought, but during a round late last year, I mentioned he should stop being so negative and it might help his golf game. That’s when he sprang on me that he was going to be Mr. Positivity in 2016. If he consistently shaves several strokes from his score, we will have further proof that a change in attitude affects goals and outcomes.
In my mid-20’s, I made a decision to maintain a positive outlook on life. There were conflicting career-related issues getting me down at the time, as well as trying to figure out where I should live, among some other concerns. I found myself dwelling on how to get through them, and having sour thoughts about the future. Reading several books on how to value our humanity, I came across one that discussed how everyone should dig into their core, decide what they are about as a person, establish their values, then live them. One of mine was to stay positive in the face of tough circumstances.
That hasn’t always happened. But for the most part, I keep the cup on the full side, using laughter and other means to help me roll with life’s punches (which get more intense through the years).
The current culture in the U.S. seems to have gone in the exact opposite direction, with whining, complaining and negativity becoming the norm. Everyone loses when we go down that path. In fact, I would argue that – like my friend – if you choose to live the positive life, events will turn out better for you for the most part.
Here’s one example, and all-time favorite: When our two younger children went through middle school, they both played basketball. The gym was small. The crowds could easily make a lot of noise and rock it. A small dedicated group of supportive parents banded together around both teams, and the young student-athletes went onto have tremendous seasons in both 7th and 8th grade.
Was our cheering the sole reason for their success? Absolutely not. At the same time, there were multiple games up from grabs, and when our fans pounded the stands and cheered “DEFENSE” or sustained loud clapping, you could see our kids elevate, speed up, draw energy and attack. It was often a spectacular display of energy, one our televeision-saturated sports world seems to have lost sight of these days.
Positivity makes us think better thoughts. If you watch too much TV news, you get regular negativity. That affects you in a bad way. Watch their use of adjectives, such as “harrowing, horrific, traumatic, divisive, ugly, vengeful, demeaning” and you’ll see how stories are crafted to make you think negatively about events and people, and worry more.
Getting you to worry more is central to their ratings. It’s central to the negative complaining culture in the U.S.
Think positive. Say nice things to people. See what happens as a result. Maybe your golf game improves, or your kid wins her next basketball game. If not, there’s always the next event where you can put on a positive cap and test the theory.