So why the heck am I writing about a positive attitude in a leadership blog? Why am I not staying on topic here and talking about leading people? Why go all Pollyanna and say everything will be better just by staying positive.
Well here’s why. Because every single aspect of your life WILL IN FACT be better if you CHOOSE to have a positive attitude. Every relationship will be stronger. Every decision will be easier. Every problem will present with it tremendous opportunity. Every bad day will be a little less bad. Every good day will be a little bit better. A positive attitude keeps your mind open. A positive attitude keeps your blood pressure lower.
A positive attitude changes everything.
Here’s something else about positive attitudes. Maintaining one day in and day out is a mighty big challenge. We are surrounded by negativity. We hear negativity in the media. It’s downright pervasive on social media. We hear it from colleagues, friends and even family. It’s literally everywhere.
Yet in the face of all that negativity a choice remains. And that’s the choice of maintaining our own positive attitude. It’s not an easy choice. It’s a choice we must make each and every day because if we don’t make that choice for ourselves someone or something else will make it for us. Nothing is as contagious as someone else’s negative attitude.
So you must make a conscious choice everyday. A choice that says “for today I will be in charge of my attitude and I will not allow anyone or anything to rob me of that precious life changing choice.”And then you need to fight like hell to make it happen.
Below are a few ideas to help you in that fight. They help me, but to be honest with you I still lose that fight way too often. But I win it more than most people so I’m claiming victory. I’m hoping this post can share that victory with you. So here we go.
- Focus on the things you are grateful for in your life. Regularly acknowledge and appreciate the positive aspects, no matter how small. Keeping a gratitude journal can be helpful, where you write down things you are thankful for each day.
- Spend time with people who uplift and inspire you. Positive and supportive relationships can have a significant impact on your attitude and outlook. You know the kind of people I’m talking about…those people who annoyingly see the bright side of everything. Let them annoy you a little more often because positive attitudes can be just as contagious as negative ones if you’re exposed often enough.
- Be conscious of your thoughts and emotions. When negative thoughts pop up, try to observe them without judgment and replace them with more positive and constructive ones.
- Instead of dwelling on problems, direct your energy towards finding solutions. This proactive approach can boost your confidence and create a more positive mindset.
- Identify activities that make you feel happy and fulfilled. It could be hobbies, sports, spending time in nature, or creative pursuits. Regularly engaging in such activities can boost your overall mood.
- Pay attention to the information you consume, whether it’s through the news, social media, or conversations. Limit exposure to negative or toxic content and seek more positive and uplifting sources.
- Use positive affirmations to reframe your mindset and reinforce a positive attitude. Tell yourself affirming statements about your abilities, worth, and potential. If this sounds hokey to you don’t worry. It’s sounds hokey to me too and I wouldn’t mention it here except for the one small fact that it absolutely works.
- Failure is a natural part of life. Instead of dwelling on mistakes or setbacks, view them as opportunities to learn and grow. This perspective can help you maintain a positive attitude even during challenging times. Failure is never final unless you decide to make it so.
- Laughter is a powerful tool for lifting your spirits. Find humor in everyday situations, and don’t take yourself too seriously. Share laughs with friends, watch comedy, or engage in activities that make you smile. If you can’t find a single thing to laugh about during the day then do what I do, find a mirror and have yourself a big ol’ laugh.
- Acknowledge your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. Celebrate your progress and give yourself credit for your efforts. You’re still trying, you’re still fighting the fight, you’re still on your way to success and I can’t think of anything more positive than that.
Maintaining a positive attitude is a journey and it will not always be easy. It requires practice, patience, and self-compassion. Be kind to yourself and continue working on building a positive mindset, one step, and one day, at a time.
Want more of LeadToday? I’ve changed things up on my Twitter feed for subscribers. I recently began publishing two or three videos each week focusing on an element of Authentic Leadership. I’ll post these videos each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Sometimes a bonus video pops up at other times during the week. They will be about 10 minutes long so we can get into the topic in a more meaningful way. The investment for subscribers in still only $4.99 a month. That’s for at least 80 MINUTES of quality video content on leadership a month.
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