A Positive Attitude Aids Business Success
Earlier this week, I joined a group of guys in helping a neighbor move. It was late in the day, the weather was hot; and a couple of the guys had not had a chance to shower before meeting with us.They were not aware of the body odor, but everyone else was! Fortunately, a shower when returning home would solve the problem.
Here is a question: have you ever met someone and were immediately turned off by bad breath or body odor? While it may not be as obvious, the odor of a bad attitude can be equally offensive. This is what I mean: when people first meet you do they sense someone who is upbeat, has a positive outlook, someone they are naturally attracted to; or someone they can’t wait to get away from?
Have we allowed a negative attitude to permeate our view of life, business, and the people around us? Try asking yourself this question – do I see the glass half empty or half full? If you’re not sure, ask your spouse, a family member, or close friend to be honest with you. Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you haven’t read it, please do.
If you find that you are lacking in a positive outlook towards life, there are some suggestions:
Decide to change. Negative thinking is a habit. And like all bad habits, change begins when you acknowledge your behavior and make a decision to alter it. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. It will take conscious effort at first, but it will become automatic over time. Start today.
Change your ‘Label’. The most powerful change happens when we modify our view of ourselves. What if you said to yourself, I am a positive, encouraging person: I enjoy being around people? How would your behavior change?
Put on a happy face. According to health experts: smiling can help reduce the level of stress-enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine, and increase the level of mood-enhancing hormones like endorphins. While smiling has this impact on you, it also has a similar impact on others. This is one reason they unconsciously want to be around you.
Catch others doing something right. The corollary to the principle “you see more of what you notice” is “you get more of what you notice. If you catch people doing what is right and complement them for it, guess what happens? They start doing more of it. This is not manipulation; it is influence. It too is contagious.
Speak well of others. I’m not saying you shouldn’t deal with bad behavior by confronting it. I’m saying you should deal directly with the people involved rather than complaining about it to those who are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. Your mama’s advice was right: “If you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Here’ a blunt question: If you were invited to spend a day with YOU, would you look forward to it?
