Negative Nancy or Positive Paul?

by Branden Stewart

I saw a tweet recently from @kevannoord that read, “Be the type of person that you want to meet. #BeThePerson #SocialExcellence.”  That’s such a simple, poignant message about what the Social Excellence lifestyle really is.

At Phired Up, we often speak about one of our core values: the power of one.  However, we rarely write about another important power that each of us has the potential to exercise.  That power is the power of positivity.  Think about it: what are some of the conversations and feelings you’ve had about your life and goals so far this year?  Have you been excited, enthusiastic, and dedicated to achieving them… or are you worried, overwhelmed, and pessimistic about the barriers and roadblocks that stand between you and your success?  If you’ve developed a pessimistic attitude do not fret!  There is still plenty of time to exercise your power to be positive.

Start by smiling.  Smiling puts out a sense of positivity and happiness to those around you, and in turn could help to make the environment you’re a part of more positive.  Continue your positivity by being friendly to others, engaging strangers in conversation, learning about new things, and discovering the ways that you can go about achieving your goals.  In fact, by making a conscious effort to be more positive you may be able to spark a sense of positivity in others.  With each additional person that you’ve helped develop their own positive attitude, you’re going to multiply the power of positivity you possess.  Clearly, the power of positivity is just one important tool in your Social Excellence arsenal.

Be conscious of the attitude, actions, and words that you are displaying to others.  Instead of telling the world that you’re dreading an upcoming meeting, you don’t want to finish an assignment, or you’re stressed out about your financial situation… you could let others know that you’re looking forward to potentially learning something new at that upcoming meeting, that you’re almost done with that assignment, and that you’re looking into creative solutions to solve your financial problems.  By changing your attitude and vocabulary, you’re also changing the way you present yourself to others.  The power of positivity is important.  Here’s why…

Who would you rather talk to: Negative Nancy or Positive Paul?  Every moment you’re choosing one of these characters.  Be The Person who chooses Positive Paul.  Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about Preposterously Positive Pollyanna, just Positive Paul.

Instead of letting 2012 be the year that we focus on the negatives, why can’t dedicated and passionate individuals make a difference?  Who is to stop us from saying that we could solve world hunger, cure cancer, end genocide, and reduce the effects of global warming by the end of the year?  The power of positivity is limitless; think about how your choice to be positive can impact the world.

There was another tweet recently that reinforced this message, particularly for people my age.  @_KeithCollier_ said, “If #Detroit is going to return to greatness, it’s going to take us 20 something’s to invest our time, willpower, and our optimistic mindset.”  As someone from Michigan myself, I can look at the challenged city of Detroit in two ways… a) It is a mess, b) like @_KeithCollier_ suggests.  Keith is a Positive Paul.  I’d like to hang out with him.