Jumped onto Facebook this morning and saw a post from someone I know. He’s really upbeat, always positive and an encouraging kind of guy. So when I read what he wrote I was caught off guard…
He posted about being on an airplane and listed 7 things that bug him on planes.
What followed was the 37 comments (and still climbing) that were ALL NEGATIVE. Comments about stinky food and stinky feet, screaming infants, aisle people, BO, getting shoved in the ass with a wheel bag, knocked in the face with a backpack and ideas for reinventing the airline experience…
I mean come on now people…really? Folks just love to complain.
Now I know this guy and his personality, so maybe he was just having a moment, maybe he was exhausted from travel, maybe he was homesick and thats ok, we’ve all felt that way.
But the quickness of the negativity chain that followed is just another piece of evidence that what you focus on or others around you focus on grows and grows.
Think about it, when you’re in negative zone, where does your mind go? To more negativity, more things that could go wrong and how awful everything is. Guilty. Been there. When we experience negative emotions we get sucked in and then prevent our brains from notice any other options. It’s like having blinders on and doesn’t lead to a healthy productive or desired outcome.
So what if his list was 7 things that are awesome about being on a plane? Like the fact that we can get on a plane and in a matter of hours be somewhere completely different from language to culture to weather = AMAZING. Or being able to fly to a destination in 2 hours vs driving 21 hours = FABULOUS. Or the opportunity to meet new people – you never know who’s sitting next to you…a future client, future friend or future business partner.
Sending our focus to all the possibilities instead of complaining about how horrible and inconvenient flying is feels so much better!
You see positivity is not just some fluffy feel good term. It’s a strategy for feeling better and living a life you love. Managing your focus and your thoughts toward the things that feel good, toward the things that bring you joy, opens the door to more ideas, more options, more possibilities. That’s the benefit of positivity.
That’s the stuff I love to help my clients see in their lives…