POSITIVE ATTITUDE

POSITIVE ATTITUDE by Ardon Schambers

 
POSITIVE OUTCOMES

We often see statements like ‘half of being successful is showing up’, or ‘get back on the horse if you fall off’, or ‘get up when you fall down’.  They center on perseverance being the key to success.  Even many of the Hollywood stars only begin to be viewed as successful after they have been around a long time. They just keep doing things that make them visible.

There is one item that I believe indirectly is a critical factor in success; a factor that is often seen but perhaps not recognized for its important contribution. That factor is a positive attitude.  If you don’t have it, ‘getting back up’, or ‘staying the course for the long haul’ is pretty difficult. A negative attitude by contrast achieves a failed outcome very rapidly. So, is there an underlying personality trait that supports a positive attitude? Something that is shaped over an extended period of time and therefore difficult for everyone to achieve? I don’t think so! It just takes a little effort to think of, and look for the positive outcome.

NEGATIVE IS EASY

The problem is we get bombarded constantly about the negative events of the day. Because that gets people’s attention. It sells newspapers and gets people watching television.  Even political campaigns seem to get better attention when the focus is negative. The number of good things in relation to bad things that are reported is pretty small.  Consequently, having a negative approach to life is pretty easy.  We report the number of people unemployed and even speculate on who no longer is looking for work so the number is higher. Why not focus on how many people are employed which is a concrete number usually in the 90% plus. Economists even recognize that consumer confidence has remarkable impact on the economy, so why not emphasize the good things that are happening? Even medical studies show that happy and positive people live longer.

NEGATIVE  LIFESTYLE

It makes no sense to focus on the negative results, but we do it constantly. Some people say it’s a way to identify opportunities to improve things. I’ve even heard it said that if I have low expectations, I’m not disappointed as often.  That seems like an awful waste of life to live with the expected black or gray cloud over your head. 

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

I’m for random acts of kindness, smiling at people for no reason, believing the outcome tomorrow will be better if only in a small way. Self-fulfilling prophesies happen. The upbeat sales person is always more successful than the one that isn’t. People shy away from those who are down.  Change is tough, but if you look for the positive outcome you will find it, if only a little at a time.