Opt-In on Optimism

There is power in a positive mindset.

We see it all the time. Positive people tend to get ahead in business. They see good results in sales, leadership, and in interactions with their co-workers. At some point, we have all asked ourselves, “How did that person get promoted?” OR “How did they get recognized?” OR “Why am I not getting a raise?” Part of your answer to those questions, or really any negatively framed question, lies in the question itself.

We hear statements all the time about staying positive, but sometimes it’s tough to see
positivity from where we are. I can tell you that in my own life I have often been “accused” of being an eternal optimist. And, it’s not because I am 100% upbeat, no negativity, or because things only go right for me. That’s not realistic. I stay optimistic by choice; it’s deliberate.

Let’s start by looking at the root of the word “optimism.” Optimism comes from the Latin word “optimus,” which translated means “BEST.” So, people that are optimists are looking for the “best” in each situation, even those negative or less than favorable situations. When you train yourself to find the best in each situation no matter how dire, then you speak to yourself differently. Someone who has a positive outlook understands that external events don’t dictate their internal communication. It’s not about them, it’s just an outcome or circumstance.

See, at the core whether you are positive or negative boils down to how you speak to yourself. It’s your individual conversations that carry on in your head, your process of thinking, and problem-solving. Tony Robbins likens the process of thinking to really just asking and answering your own questions. When you control your internal dialogue and what you are saying to yourself, you can control how you look at your external environment.

So the talk of being positive and being an optimist is not about being naive and thinking that no bad things will ever happen, or that you won’t ever get frustrated – you just look for the best, and know that positive things will turn around and the future outcomes can and will still be bright.

Being Positive Is a Great Business Tool

When it comes to business, here are a few reasons why positivity wins.

1. When you communicate in a positive manner to yourself, your verbiage makes its way from the inside of you to the outside world, meaning if you speak kindly to
yourself you will speak kindly and more positively to others. Kindness still carries weight
when it comes to business and sales. Kindness carries, as the saying goes that “negativity is a cancer and spreads,” well so does positivity and kindness. The more you spread your positive mindset it becomes infectious for good.

2. YES, becomes your default mode. It has been estimated that the average toddler hears the word “NO” more than 400 times per day. So, at a young age, often people get wired to not do things they might attempt. They get wired to a negative mode; to the
things they can’t or shouldn’t be doing instead of those things they should. So – when you retrain for positivity, you start to see possibilities. You see the best and the yes in each situation, and you see the possibilities and the what-ifs of each situation. So when people are able to see more, they try more and in most cases, they do more and then whatever their desired result – they get it, or significantly closer to it than had they not made the attempt.

3. Positivity creates results and results attract talent. When you have an optimistic outlook in general, you don’t have to be better equipped or more talented. All you have to do is maintain your composure, and stay positive throughout individual situations. When you do that, it will win you as an individual or your company more deals and produce higher ROI and results. Talented people want to work with companies that are confident and upbeat. So as you create more results you attract better people as well.

A positive mindset is more than just looking for the silver lining. It is actually changing the way you think and the way you speak to yourself first. It is truly searching for the “best” in each situation, that best possible outcome and how you can put up points that will create a win. When you do that you will start to first affect yourself, then affect your teams, and over time it will affect and grow your business.