If I were to ask you to describe me in three words, would happy be one of them? I often chat about my strong belief of the power of positive thinking (at my talks, workshops and in general conversation - if you get me going!) and why it means so much to me… but, it recently occurred to me that I’ve never really captured it anywhere in writing! Not properly, anyway - which is what I would like to attempt today.
I like to think of my sunny outlook as part of my genetic makeup, and one reader back in the day even referred to me as ‘the happiest person on the Internet’ - an extremely generous title, but one that makes me grateful that people acknowledge the good energy that I try to put out there!
Spreading joy where possible is more than just part of my ‘online’ identity, though - I genuinely see it as part of my reason for being here. And, the truth is, I also see it as a powerful tool - helping me through life, through changes, through everything really.
Sometimes people can misinterpret positivity as ignorance or naivety. That I am oblivious to what is going on in the world around me, and instead choose to chatter about kindness with my head in the sand (if it were actually possible to speak while you had your head planted in the ground… oh, you know what I mean!).
Yes, I DO choose kindness but as for the rest? Here’s the T: I don’t look towards positive thinking because I don’t understand that the world is an increasingly dark and scary place. I do it because the world is an increasingly dark and scary place. And, if I can put some goodness out at every opportunity, then I might be able to help take some of that darkness away - even if it’s just for a short period of time.
The power of positive thinking is more than an inspirational quote on a poster, or a trending hashtag - it’s how I decide to live my life, how I interact with others, how I do business and how I treat people. It’s something that I have control over, and it’s within my power to do and to share.
I want to remind people (including myself) that we are allowed to be happy and be silly and have sparks of 100% shameless joy. We all have that in common, am I right? And I think that positivity breeds more positivity, so if I take a small step like telling a bad joke or wearing something a tad bright (ahem!), it might start a domino effect!
So, the power of positive thinking is, to me, just that - a power. Heck, I consider it my superpower the more I think about it (*strikes superhero pose*)! It’s a choice I make every day because I can see the impact it can have on others. Are some days tougher than others? Yes! But most days are REALLY GOOD and that’s what I think about when I start to wobble.
If you’ve been following along with me for a week, a month or even the last eight years (!) I am sure my upbeat nature won’t have passed you by. But just in case you ever wondered where my energy comes from, now you know!
What’s your thoughts on the power of positive thinking? And what’s YOUR superpower?
