What Day Is It?

What Day Is It?

“What day is it?”

“It’s today,” squealed Piglet.

“My favorite day, “ said Pooh

From Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Winnie the Pooh is such an optimist. And to the optimist, every day is a great day – a favorite day. To the pessimist, not one day out of 365 is a good one, much less a great one. And there are no favorites.

When you first open your eyes in the morning, what goes through your mind? Are you dreading the day or are you thinking about all the glorious possibilities the day will bring?

My mother, the supreme optimist, greeted every day with a smile in her heart and a song that accompanied the smile. As a child I would begrudgingly drag out of bed in the mornings. I was fortunate, however, because I would hear my mother’s voice coming from the kitchen downstairs. She would sing as she prepared breakfast. I don’t remember what songs she chose to sing. That wasn’t important. The singing was important. It is only as an adult that I am in wonder of those memories and I often think about how truly marvelous it was that she possessed such a positive attitude and how lucky I was to wake up to her singing.

How we start our days influences how our days go. How do you want your days to go?  Do you want a good day? Start with positive thoughts. Do you want a great day? Start by singing, it doesn’t matter what your voice is like or what song you sing. You don’t have to be a Beyonce, a Justin Bieber or a Justin Timberlake. Just sing.  

Every day will be your favorite.

Random Acts of Optimism

Random Acts of Optimism OR RAO came to me without any thought or idea about how to describe it nor what I will write about it. I just liked the sound of it. Now, that's optimism!  Start with a positive, commit to it, run with it and finish it! So here are the results!

What do you imagine random acts of optimism to be?

Could one come at a time when you are down in the dumps for whatever reason and all of sudden you pull yourself out of it and make a positive statement counter to your negative thoughts that rocks your world? It can happen.

How about hearing a friend or coworker say something negative and pessimistic about themselves. You counteract with a positive compliment that knocks their socks off. The compliment has to be deserved, real and believable. Caution: Credibility is at stake here. Do practice this at home.

Another opportunity to display a random act of optimism is offering a positive comment to someone with whom you only have a casual interaction.

As a vulnerable, young teenager I was on the receiving end of such a random act of optimism. That interaction remains vividly in my memories. I can still see the woman and the scene. She was someone I hardly knew. Out of the blue, or so it seemed to me,  she said, "You have the look of determination in your eyes." I believe that chance encounter nurtured my strong tenacity, my persistence and my never give up attitude that has continued to grow ever since.

Practice offering positive, optimistic comments to the people with whom you work, where you shop and most importantly with your family and friends. Keep it going. There are no boundaries, no limitations. 

Recently I had an opportunity to "rub elbows" with a billionaire. This man, a humble man with a powerful vision, motivates me in many ways. I shared with him how much I admire and appreciate his vision, his generosity and his servant leadership. He smiled warmly and humbly and thanked me. I believe the impact was positive.

Who are you going to share a random act of optimism with today? Think about it! Do more than think about it. Do it!!

The "And Yes" of Optimism"

Let's explore the difference words make. There are countless examples. Begin with my favorite one,  the "Yeah, but"  versus "yes, and."  Try it. It's amazing the difference it makes. It's also effective when a team is brainstorming or problem solving. Especially if a team member is always pessimistic and negative or the team is almost at an impasse.

Here's how it works. Someone makes a suggestion that may be challenging, new, or not your liking. An all to often automatic response is, "Yeah, but..." to be completed by what you think, believe cannot be done, or are not willing to agree to.

Erase the "yeah, but" and change your words and your way of thinking. Instead respond with " And, yes..." Those two words change the attitude, approach and atmosphere. 

Example: Henry says, "Let's go to the movies. I want to see Lincoln." Marie responds, "Yeah, but, the theaters are so crowded, everyone is going. Look at the difference an "And, yes," response makes.

Marie says, "And yes, the theaters are so crowded the movie must be excellent." The "must be excellent." is an optimistic perspective that came automatically when Marie began with "And yes." Here's another "and, yes" response to the same statement. "And yes, I want to see that movie, let's go at time when it isn't quite so crowded."

Here's another example for you to wrap your positive thoughts around: Tiffany says, "I think the solution to the problem is (you fill in the blanks). Scott responds, "Yeah, but, that's a wimpy idea."  What is the result if instead Scott's response is, "And yes, that may be a wimpy idea." Only words changed were "Yeah, but" and "and yes." However, the "and yes" response allows the possibilities of the idea rather than shutting down any chances at all.

Try the "And yes" approach in your self-talk. Your "I can't do something" comments to self are turned around when you factor in the "and yes" beginning in your response. Practice it. Then move on to use it with others on a regular basis. Make it a habit. We know habits can be developed and so can optimism. 

Look for future blogs topics on random acts of optimism, tone of voice expresses your attitude, facial expressions - optimistic or pessimistic

Positive Living

The Pollyanna Principle

This morning I received an email from my daughter, Terri. She suggests that I give serious thought to a "positive living" course/seminar/blog... any or all!!! as she puts it. I thought I'd think about what I'd write in a blog first...

My mother was one of the most positive, optimistic, loving people I've ever known. She did an incredible job of embedding optimism into my psyche without being obvious about it. She did it by example. In my lifetime, I can only remember one time when she chastised me for being negative - calmly and without critical tonality. That memory is as clear in my mind as it was the day it happened. Her words to me were, "Why would you think something like that?"

So why would we or do we think or say negative thoughts and words? Why do we let ourselves go down that perilous path? How can we "think, speak and live positively."

I have been accused by friends and associates of being a Pollyanna. You know, that girl who always sees the best in everything, the sunny side of the street on a cloudy, rainy day? Or that boy who looks for the pony in the pile of manure he was given for his birthday while his negative, pessimistic twin brother is unhappy, disappointed and angry because to him the huge pile of gifts he was given only presented problems. 

The title of the speech/seminar/blog can / could be The Pollyana Principle or Pollyannaish and Proud of It!

Is optimism innate or is it learned? Like many characteristics, we often assume it is innate. Assuming it is innate, can it be learned? Consider the many common habits you have. The things you do without even thinking about them. Were you born with them or did you add them to your mindset over a period of time. What about the myriad of actions you take automatically or you feel as if you must do no matter what?  For example. Which side of the bed do you sleep on? Were you born sleeping on that side of the bed? Can you not allow yourself to go to bed without brushing your teeth? Were you born  brushing your teeth? Humph! You didn't even have a toothbrush when your were born much less teeth.

Authors have made fortunes writing books on optimism. Just ask Google. There are so many that now a backlash has occurred from the naysayers who postulate that optimism and positive thinking undermine the importance (according to them) of being realistic, planning, creative thinking, etc., etc., etc.

What can you do, or encourage others to do, to become more optimistic. I'm not suggesting you become a Pollyana like I am, I'm just suggesting a few minor changes... at first. Who knows what will happen next.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be surrounded by optimistic people? Wouldn't your friends and coworkers prefer it if you were more positive? Just think about it.