Chalk it up to years of corporate sales and leadership training, but I love a good motivational speaker. It sounds cheesy, but I’ve witnessed the power of positive thought enough times to become a believer. My personal philosophy is “Start With Yes” and it has helped me successfully navigate all kinds of professional and personal trials. But lately, I’ve been struggling to stay upbeat in face of holiday stress combined with this economic…disaster? Nightmare? Depression?
Whatever you call it, times are tough and a lot of people are suffering. I was thinking about this when I saw a tweet from That Cool Broad that led me to her great blog post “How to survive a recession without throwing yourself off a bridge.” In the post, That Cool Broad talks about coping with the same fears most people are experiencing right now — like missing a mortgage payment or not having enough money to pay for your kid’s college tuition — and how it’s all going to work out if you stay positive.
Yeah, it’s that simple. Stay positive. Since that’s sometimes a stretch (again, it is for most of us) she also linked to a fantastic guest post by Curtis Greve on Henrik Edberg’s The Positivity Blog. Yes, really! A whole blog about positivity. This second post is all about saying “So what?” when faced with anxiety provoking thoughts like, “I might lose my job!” And how crazy of a concept is that? Give it a minute’s thought, though, and it’s actually a useful way to put things in perspective. Because, really, what will happen if you lose your job? It might be awful, but you won’t die. Your spouse will still love you. You’ll still have your teeth, at least if you started with them. And once you decide that you will be OK, you will have the energy and confidence to strike out and find a new, better job.
Think of it this way: which would you prefer to experience? Quaking in fear over something that might or might happen, or believing that you have the strength and ability to manage whatever comes along. If you’re still doubtful, here’s another thing I like to do when it’s hard to muster that perspective. Go out and find someone who is worse off than you are. Sadly, it’s pretty easy to do that right now. It could be the guy washing car windows at the supermarket parking lot, the homeless lady with the dog outside the coffee shop, or the exasperated mother in Target you overhear explaining to her small daughter that they can’t afford presents this year because they are broke.
Since I always feel better when I take action, I also feel more in control and upbeat when I find a way to help those people who are worse off. Skip your $5 coffee. Instead, buy the homeless lady a sandwich, include a treat for her dog, and give it to her with a big smile. Or pick up the doll that little girl was looking at, and buy it. Then hand it to her mother in a bag and wish her a “happy holiday!” Don’t be shy, but don’t make a big deal out it, just go for it. You might feel a little self-conscious or even silly doing this, but “So what?” Imagine how good the ones you helped will feel!
If you start small with gestures like this, and believe that you can make the world better a little bit at a time, you’ll develop the habit of positive thoughts and actions. You’ll feel less worried about yourself, and more like you’re in charge of your life. Try it for an hour, or a day. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to grumbling over your TPS reports and waiting for the axe to fall. But I think once you start, you’ll become addicted. Because, you know, I’m optimistic like that. Start with yes!
Photo source: Michelle on flickr.