How to stay Positive

I had the good fortune to listen in on a conversation the other day between two friends. One of them, we’ll refer to him as Steve, was focusing on and sharing all the things that were not going well with his struggling business which seemed to be spilling over into his personal life as well. No matter what feedback his friend provided, Steve was committed to seeing how things were not going to get any better. In a way, Steve was actually arguing for his current lot in life.

Steve’s friend exuded confidence, success, and joy as he demonstrated amazing patience and grace in being with Steve and offering him counsel. One particular statement Steve whined to his friend was, “It’s easy for you to stay positive because you’re not losing your home and your business is thriving. You’re in a great relationship and you’re in good physical shape. You have everything going for you.” As I heard this it provoked the question of which came first? Does being positive beget success and fulfillment or does the happiness, health and wealth generate the ability to be positive?

I happen to know the older gentlemen that was Steve’s friend. I also know that he has overcome great adversities in many areas of his life both personally and professionally. What I also know is that he had developed an ability to be positive regardless of the circumstances that surrounded him.

If you could see through this gentlemen’s eyes you would see great possibility wherever you looked, for he has POSITIVE eyes.

P – Prioritize. He knows he can’t do it all. He is clear about the order of what is most important in his life and in his work. He thereby knows what to focus his energy and effort on moment by moment.
O – Organize. He organizes his tools, resources, assets and environments in a way to keep him free of distractions that could pull him from his priorities.
S – Synchronize. He leverages his internal strengths, talents and resources with his outer resources in a way that enables him to operate most optimally.
I – Initialize. He rarely settles for the status quo. He continually endeavors to grow by learning and doing something new.
T –Tantalize. He goes beyond his comfort zone and tempts and teases his own potential. He takes the risks necessary to experience the growth and advancement he has come to now know. He has a confidence of knowing he can handle whatever may come about. This comes from a Trust he has developed in himself by picking himself up one more time than he was knocked down.
I – Individualize. He embraces who he is without any self judgment. He leads with what makes him unique and he is sure to continually differentiate himself from others.
V – Visualize. He constantly visualizes the reality he endeavors to experience. He believes that those that can see the invisible can do the impossible.
E – Energize. Every day he invokes his energy through mental, emotional and physical rituals. He then focuses his energy on what he has prioritized as most important.

You now have the eyes to be POSITIVE and beget what you desire.