I figured out a while back that there is ALWAYS a positive, motivational perspective to pretty much any situation. It might not be readily identifiable, but with a deep breath and some thought, it can be found.
My first nudge towards this thought was a friend I’ve previously mentioned, who always looked for a positive angle to most any situation–even when the casual “us” would think “oh man…you are SO screwed.”
Over time, I learned that sometimes the way we SAY things have major negative connotations–and those negative, subliminal influencers will start to wear us down if we take them at face value. I learned more about this from “As a Man Thinketh,” a tremendous book that really dives in to the power of positive thinking. It was written in 1903 by James Allen, and while some of the text is dated and difficult to read, it makes several points that were simply life-changing for me. It encouraged people to take seriously the things they thought–and even more… the things they said.
Here’s an interesting twist on the subject: the more of our senses we use when communicating, the more rooted they become in our subconscious. So by speaking things out loud, you are already using two senses. Write it down, and now you’re using three senses when you recite it aloud!
Once I learned of the impact these seemingly ordinary and simple practices could make, I began to look for ways I could expand on them; making as many things “positive” as I could, even if the core of the matter was” negative” in itself.
I once worked for a company whose entire marketing campaign was a significantly negative slogan: “Not your grandmother’s _______” Bummer. It stated how emphatic they were that their product wasn’t like more traditional methods, but it did so in a thoroughly negative tone. Rather than focus on what “we aren’t,” I suggested a change in the phrase to be more positive: “Dynamic ______ Marketing Solutions”. Believe me, I wasn’t doing this for personal gain or to impress anyone; I just wanted the perception of this very cool program to the most powerful and positive possible.
Consider this: Have you ever been in a situation where someone says “I will try to find time to…” or “I will see if I can find any time”? Wow–what a let down! Sure, it’s something we hear all the time, and quite easy to rattle off. (Otherwise known as ‘blowing them off’) But imagine if instead, we said, “I will make time.” That changes the whole spirit of the conversation! Saying you’ll “find time” leaves a huge door for non-commitment and unaccountability. A person could come up with a million reasons why they couldn’t ‘find time”. But if someone goes to the next level and says they will MAKE time, it’s clear that the person sees the value and importance of your situation and intends to actually take action.
So in the spirit of putting a positive spin on things, here are some ways you can change the entire perception of a situation:
- “Find time” vs. “Make Time” – As I said above, be willing to commit to people and doing your best to help them. Not leaving them hanging with the possibility of an accidental solution.
- “Sooner” or “Later” – “I’ll talk to you later” or “I’ll see you later” – try saying “I’ll talk to you soon.” Even if you don’t have a set date in mind, it at least portrays to the other person you are looking forward to the next time you see them
- “Challenge” vs. “Problem” – “Problem” means you’re at the end of trying to handle this situation. “Challenge” means something is in the way, and we need to be creative to find a way out.
Keep in mind: none of these are suggesting that you exaggerate the truth or give false hopes. Just simply inject the obvious with a dose of hope. It’s EASY to find things to be negative about: Politics, Gas Prices, Weather,. Traffic etc etc – so why not be different and change your perspective to one of positivity and good feelings? It could easily become habit-forming, life-changing, and even contagious!
“For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he…”
Proverbs 23:7