Positivity Breeds Positivity

This week I'll continue my discussion of being positive. DeliveringHappiness recently tweeted "What do you value most in your workplace? Is it your co-workers? Your job? Or something else? #WorkHappy" For me, simply being nice and keeping a positive work environment makes all of the difference.  

This week I was giving a new hire orientation and decided to show the FISH video before.  I was pleasantly surprised by the message that was conveyed. The film is about a fish market and the way that their employees stay positive.  They are dedicated to the Fish Philosophy.  It goes on to discuss how being positive makes their work more enjoyable and how they are able to create a relationship and communicate with consumers with their actions. One employee says, "I CHOOSE TO BE POSITIVE." This really is a great statement. You can choose to be optimistic or you can opt not to be. Seeing the glass as half full seems to be like the right choice to me.  The way I look at it, the glass might spill a little bit, but it never tips over and you can ALWAYS fill it back up.  

                                                                                                                                                                           

I think starting an employment relationship with this type of message is the right step to take.  Keeping the message going is the key. We have been planning the calendar of events for this year and have included events where the company gives to employees (luncheons, special events, turkeys) and other events (No Child LeftBehind, United Way and BetheMatch). I feel that giving to employees and showing them how the company supports giving back to the community and inviting them to participate sends an encouraging message.

I would really like to expand our level of positivity through "random acts of happiness." This is something else I recently saw Delivering Happiness do. They handed out balloons on the street to random strangers.  Amazing that such a small thing could put a smile on people's faces and bring them joy. 

I would like to pass out happy face stickers to employees. Just something fun to keep work light and fun. What's your idea?

Over the past few weeks I have been exposing myself to positive people on Twitter. Their optimism and actions have inspired me. I look to be inspired and find things that make me happy every day. I find these things with quotes, pictures, music and other stories.  My goal is to pass on some of my happiness and hopefully it will motivate someone else to be positive.  I hope someone inspires you today! 

Think Positive, Be Positive, Live Positive

Of all of the things I have learned during my life, one of the most important lessons is being positive.  Being positive impacts every aspect of your life every day.  To me, attitude is everything.  They way you feel and how you portray yourself to others has an impact at work, with professional connections, at home, with your friends, your children, family members, complete strangers, etc.

At a very young age I learned to redirect my energy through judo. It started at judo and eventually I could use exercise to deal with negative energy. At the end of a hard workout I feel WONDERFUL. It's like I am able to restart from a better place. Being healthy is one thing. A peer of mine, Dan Capizzo, discusses how important it is to keep the mind trained. Living at the Olympic Training Center and training with elite athletes really taught me how to use my mind and body together and my recovery from stressful situations (i.e. training for high level tournaments, pursuing Olympic dreams) became almost instantaneous.

Being a positive force takes time and dedication. It started with  USA judo and exercise and eventually became a way of life for me.  For over ten years I worked at a job that was high stress.  I found myself dreading going to work. I stumbled upon a book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."  With so much in common with the book I started to apply it into my daily life.  Next, I attended a Society for Human Resources Management Conference.  Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, was a presenter.  He gave an inspiring speech with such honesty. He talked about his journey through life, work, and events he sponsored for Delivering Happiness.  On the plane home from the conference I was reading his book, Delivering Happiness, and since then I've been a supporter of constant happiness since. It's odd that one encounter gave me the motivation to change. My change was getting a new job.  I moved to a company where I have no stress. Removing one stressor allowed me to find happiness everywhere else. 

I try to approach EVERYDAY with a positive attitude. If my day starts going astray I will literally say "this is not going to happen (red cape on)," I try to refocus my energy and keep going as positively as possible.  I've found that if you let things go downhill the slide is quick and not an enjoyable ride. If my day isn't the best I follow it with a great workout. Sometimes it is on the treadmill, sometimes it's at Zumba. I was lucky to find a way to redirect my negativity to positivity.  I hope you have been able to find this too.