Escape Negativity

Sure, these guys have thorns - but aren't they pretty?

How does it feel to be pulled into a negative state?

For me, it's a bit like an old ride in a amusement park. You think you're going into a fun house, but it turns out there's nothing fun about it. Poorly paid teenagers hassle you with textures and unwelcome contact. Distorted sounds surround you. Lights flash unexpectedly and you could just about swear that a rat just ran across your feet. Not fun.

Who would willfully choose a negative state? Circumstances sometimes suck us in. Darkness descends around us without our knowing why and certainly without choosing it. But let's not stay there.

Let's escape negativity. Let's work as centered, mindful, high performance leaders to stay aware of our mental state and choose our best path as often as possible. And, it's usually possible.

Centered leaders find ways to escape negativity.

Ways like challenging an out of bounds criticism. Staying curious instead of judging. Listening carefully and taking caution to avoid connecting any dots that aren't necessarily related (and certainly not causal). Since our perceptions and conclusions influence our happiness, why not select perceptions that are positive and that contribute to a state of balance and well-being, rather than digging us deeper into a pit of pity?

I'm not saying that positive thinking can fix anything. But when it's a choice, staying positive will work much better than debilitating negativity.

What's the best part of your day so far? Why not roll with that for awhile and let it make the rest of your day as positive as possible?

--- Doug Smith

Front Range Leadership: High performance leadership training

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