Is it possible that the world’s greatest achievers think completely differently from the majority?
Do you think the Wright brothers could ever have achieved what they did if they hadn’t believed it could be done? Was Sarah Blakely’s Spanx success a result of I can’t do this?
I heard an interview with Blakely recently. She shared that when she was 16, her dad gave her a cassette series called “How to be a No-Limit person” by Wayne Dyer. He wished he had discovered those tapes when he was 16, instead of 40. Blakely listened to those tapes and transformed her thoughts to see possibilities, instead of limitations.
I, myself, have been in the company of negative thinkers and let me tell you that their influence if allowed to go unchecked is very powerful and destructive. This is why it is paramount that if you want to be successful in life, you must surround yourself with positive thinking individuals and share your positive thoughts and attitudes with like-minded people.
A number of high-powered women leaders I coach are struggling with this very subject right now. They are surrounded by peers and staff who no longer see good things around them. The pandemic has zapped everyone of their pep and positivity it seems and these women are not immune from it, either.
We’ve explored a number of ideas to find passion and positivity again. Here are a few that may resonate with you:
1. Seek out the positive people around you.
While it may feel like there is no positivity around anymore, there definitely are still people who have this strength. I have one person in my life who comes to mind as my go-to for pep talks when I need one. When we started talking about this topic, I could see the lightbulb turn on for one of my clients and she said she knew exactly who she could rely on and that she was going to ask that person if she would help her start her day off on the right foot each morning.
2. Shed the negativity around us.
We don’t always get to choose who is around us; however, we can choose whether we remain in their presence. When a conversation turns to complaints or whining, we can excuse ourselves and let the other person know we will call back another time. If we are unable to excuse ourselves from the conversation, we could ask a question about how the person will resolve the issue for themselves. Shifting the conversation to the other person can be freeing for us and empowering for the other person.
3. Write down who you want to be
Sometimes our brain needs a reminder that we want to be someone who sees the positive or releases the negative. With a simple notecard or sticky note on our computer that says “I see the positive today”, we can start to look for the positive and truly see that it is all around us.
Our thoughts are powerful and the sooner we work on shifting our perspective to the positive, the sooner we can see, like Sarah Blakely, that we are limitless.
Work with me
Every day, I work with women leaders who seek to shift their perspective so they can find their passion and thrive again. If you’re looking to do the same, click here and schedule a time for us to talk.