Confronting Positivity
Someone recently confronted me for my positivity. Actually, this isn’t the first time. People often tell me our newsletters are too cheerful or our Facebook page is fake because it only shows people smiling.
Speaking of Facebook, have you heard about the experiment where Facebook messed with
our heads? For one week in January 2012, they skewed the news feed of 700,000 people. They twisted some news feeds to show more negative items while other people saw more positive news on their pages. The research results were fairly conclusive—the people who saw negative feeds posted more negative posts on their own pages while the individuals who saw positive feeds were more optimistic. Surprised? Not really. Whether you feed on negativity or on positivity, it will become your reality.
Does Compass have a “bad hair day”? Yes–quite frequently. Are there things I could focus on that any given day or month that do not go as planned? You bet. However, I am 
under the very strong conviction that if we only point out what is negative and problematic, we will all simply discover more of it. I am convinced that we will always find what we are looking for. If we are focusing on problems and pestilence, we will find it. If the “news feed” of our life is only filled with negativity, we will find the sadness and the despair, not only right next to us, but inside of us.
Truth Is A Funny Thing
If we choose to unearth the good in people, the hope for the future and the love in our jobs, we will find worthwhile treasure. I want to search for that. I will turn over every stone to find hope, love and goodness. I want to find these things in the people around me and the world inside of me, so I look for them.
Truth is a funny thing in that it comes in many forms. As I sit here right now and write this, the truth is the sun is out. The truth is also that there are a few clouds in the sky. Do
I point out the clouds, or do I point out the sun? Which is more honest?
It is a conscious, purposeful choice to point out the happiness and joy in my newsletters, on Facebook and throughout my day.
So……..here comes the sun.
Sadie – I love it! I just went on an anti negativity rant about Mondays today! Positivity is a conscious decision, I couldn’t agree more. There are so many things to be grateful for, and your thoughts have more power than you think. Make them positive!!
Sadie,
All too often somebody will point out the clouds rather then the sun. They will complain about their job, home life or some other aspects of their life rather then state the positive things they have going or be willing to change what is wrong so they will be happy. Why is that? Is seems to happen more and more and when you are positive you are labeled fake or people assume something is wrong with you. Why can’t we smile everyday, laugh every minute and just have fun without being questioned?? Heck, I would read a cheerful newsletter any day over something that states what is wrong with everybody. There seems to be a new ME mentality that is growing amongst younger adults and children and if they don’t get what they want then it’s our fault or they get upset. I am learning (through the news, because it is negative most times) that anything can happen to us at any moment, good, bad and tragic. However, we can’t dwell on what could be or has been.. Be Positive, thankful and smile everyday that you wake up and the sun is still out. There might be clouds or (smoke) but yet the sun is still there. Like I say, “Everything is awesome and fantastic when we smile and laugh.” Life is too short not to be positive and cheerful. If someone ever again claims you are too cheerful or happy, just politely say “Thank You” it’s never a bad thing.