I have a joke with a friend that the blood type we share is also a life motto; “B-positive”. Some people believe in the ‘power of positive thinking’. While that can be important, positive doing might be even more valuable.
However, whether you regard the local, state or national scene, you can see the influence of negativity and the way it is battling ever-present yet often quieter positive voices. In this battle, fear and hate are manipulative weapons. But we can resist and prevail over negativity.
I am not suggesting we naively look at life through rose-colored lenses or that we join hands and sing around the campfire, or even that we all have to agree on everything. But what would happen if we chose to seek the positive? We have opportunities each day.
Smile at the person who helps you at the grocery store, or the mom with the screaming child, or the person in the wheelchair. Mentor. Say thank you more often. Make time to perform small acts of courtesy. Volunteer. Send a note to a person in your life who needs encouragement (try a paper note in the mail!). Give blood. Laugh at yourself more. Redirect and bring the silver-lining to a sour discussion. Compliment people. Refuse to read the article linked to the negative headline. Help a person who won’t ask for help. Spend time with someone who feels lonely. Reassure a new person on the job. Recycle. Offer forgiveness and patience to the person resolving an issue for you. Respectfully agree to disagree with a person who holds different views than you. Compromise to reach common ground. Focus on the strength, not the flaw. The list goes on.
When we seek out positivity, we will start to see the world differently. That doesn’t mean we won’t have problems. It just means that maybe we can try to learn from those times, and identify what sort of transformation can come from the struggles of life. With more positivity, maybe we can restore and instill hope, for ourselves and others.
My challenge to you is to rise above negativity. Turn optimism into action. This is not a new idea, just one that bears repeating. Let’s all make a change for the better.
Thank you,
Jenny DeLio
Kyle
