Thinking Positive Yields Good News
Posted: May 2, 2009, 09:06 AM by Leslie Grossman
You may laugh at "The Secret" but I don't. If you're a skeptic, you might want to reconsider. There was a lot of good news this morning - H1N1 Flu outbreak in Mexico may not be as bad as once thought; Obama has a Supreme Court appointment to make and there's many great women candidates; The Yankees beat the LA Angels in a stunning comeback in the 8th and 9th innings (good news for Yankee fans - me); troubled banks are reporting profits; some economists are giving the President an A+ for his efforts to turn around the economy; entrepreneurs are figuring out ways to stay in business. Okay okay, I happen to come by optimism naturally. My Dad was the President of the Optimist Club in Spry, PA. - and I'm not kidding. Just like anyone else, I am sometimes overcome by fear. But I fight it tooth and nail by staying in the present moment. Business is tough for us all. Bringing in revenues to support the continuation - not just the growth - of our businesses couldn't be more challenging. But as Gloria Gaynor says, "We (I) will survive." How do I know? I've been down this road before....at least 4 times since starting my first business at the age of 24. Each downturn eventually yielded a better, more successful business - forcing me to think differently, collaborate with others and innovate. Don't give up. Take one day at a time. TAke one step at time. And use one of my techniques, try to miss the bad news and focus on the good news!
Reader Comments
Posted: May 29, 2009, 04:43 PM by Eleni Pallas
I, too, am a firm believer of positive thinking. I'm lucky that I was born an optimist, but in helping less optimistic people shift their energies and focus on what's wonderful instead of what needs to be changed; what they have versus what they don't have; what's possible instead of impossible, I find that it's an excellent approach that creates value for everyone. I hope that this focus on positivity spreads throughout the world, so that we start to expect good news and hear bad news as an exception. Wouldn't that be a wonderful world?
Posted: May 17, 2009, 06:59 PM by Ana-Marie Jones
Thank you Leslie!
This post absolutely made my day! Anyone who mentions H1N1 flu and the true power of positive thinking has my attention and appreciation.
As the executive director of (CARD), a nonprofit that serves the preparedness and response needs of nonprofits and faith agencies, I spent much of my time in the last weeks addressing the positive things nonprofits CAN DO in the face of the H1N1 Flu threat. It is a challenge getting a positive CAN DO message to people when so much fear, uncertainty and hype is fueling and filling the airspace around H1N1 flu and other disasters.
Particularly for things like H1N1 flu, f we stay relentlessly focused on the simple, positive things we CAN DO, we'd be stronger, healthier RIGHT NOW and we'd be better able to avoid getting the flu and/or passing it on to others. Plus, there is plenty of evidence that positive, optimistic people are healthier, happier, do better in relationships, make more money, etc.
I think the book Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman is great for sharing research, and for helping people to understand the power of optimism, and that you can learn to be optimistic. Since this is a leadership forum, many of you would love the section in the book where they analyze the speechs from US presidential campaigns, based on indicators of optimism. Not surprisingly, the more optimistic candidate won almost every time.
I Tweeted simple, positive tips for addressing H1N1 Flu at www.Twitter.com/CARDcanhelp. On my personal Twitter site, www.Twitter.com/MsDuctTape, I Tweeted the many things I was glad about throughout the H1N1 experience. Since most of the world isn't on Twitter yet, I clipped and pasted my Tweets and sent them via email. Many people shared how helpful it was to know they could do so many simple things, help remove fear and stay positive.
Thank you Leslie for raising the positive flag on this forum. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help spread the word!
with much appreciation,
Ana-Marie Jones, Executive Director
CARD - Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters
Helping agencies prepare to prosper!
Posted: May 3, 2009, 11:26 PM by Suzanne Cohen
So a woman thinkith, so is she......
Posted: May 2, 2009, 11:05 AM by Veronica Fielding
Great post, Leslie and it would be great to hear from others as well. I believe 100% that if you keep looking for the positives, you will find avenues to explore, and the exhiliration of exploration brings the kind of energy that draws more positives your way. Laugh at "The Secret," all you want, but the power of positive thinking goes by many names and when you look beyond the headlines that are designed to keep you guessing, nervous and tuning in for more, you will see that there are actually a lot of positives right now--Leslie's is just a short list. Yes, there are always people down and suffering. But instead of wondering if you're next, put your energy into helping, even if it's in the tiniest of ways. Even a smile works miracles.
Thanks for getting us going Leslie.
