I want to give you three simple things you can do to stay Front-Row Positive in a sometimes Balcony Negative world. What I mean by that is we need to arm ourselves with protection from the negativity that can be so rampant these days. These three things will help you stay in the front-row of your life and avoid slipping back into the balcony.
Have Positive Expectation
Instead of setting the bar low to avoid disappointment, why not set your expectations super positive first thing in the morning. Expect good things to come your way. Anticipate those uncomfortable conversations to have the best positive outcome. Envision your next presentation to land as you wanted or even better. Visualize your ideal front-row day and then look for those positive outcomes.
Assume Positive Intent
It would be nice if everyone in our world was positive and did what we wanted! But that’s not our reality. Sometimes we are going to be faced with customers, colleagues, strangers, prospects and even family. As a result, they say or do things that may surprise us. Instead of reacting immediately with judgement, why not assume positive intent? Meaning, why not give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they didn’t mean any harm at all. Perhaps they didn’t realize their words were hurtful. They may have made a mistake. Start with assuming positive intent, and then ask questions if you need clarity. Ask questions without judgment, just to gather more information before you move on to judgement.
Give some grace
At the end of each day as you reflect on how things unfolded vs. your expectation, give yourself some grace. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes. Ask yourself what you could learn from how your day unfolded, what lessons can you pull from your day, then, show some grace to yourself. When you do that, it’s easier to show grace to other people as well.
After these three things, you get to start your next day by starting these three things all over again. After all, each day you get to choose where you sit in your life, and I suggest you choose to sit in the front-row.
Positivity in Your Life!
Add Positivity to Your Life!
I want to give you three simple things you can do to stay Front-Row Positive in a sometimes Balcony Negative world. What I mean by that is we need to arm ourselves with protection from the negativity that can be so rampant these days. These three things will help you stay in the front-row of your life and avoid slipping back into the balcony.
Instead of setting the bar low to avoid disappointment, why not set your expectations super positive first thing in the morning. Expect good things to come your way. Anticipate those uncomfortable conversations to have the best positive outcome. Envision your next presentation to land as you wanted or even better. Visualize your ideal front-row day and then look for those positive outcomes.
It would be nice if everyone in our world was positive and did what we wanted! But that’s not our reality. Sometimes we are going to be faced with customers, colleagues, strangers, prospects and even family. As a result, they say or do things that may surprise us. Instead of reacting immediately with judgement, why not assume positive intent? Meaning, why not give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they didn’t mean any harm at all. Perhaps they didn’t realize their words were hurtful. They may have made a mistake. Start with assuming positive intent, and then ask questions if you need clarity. Ask questions without judgment, just to gather more information before you move on to judgement.
At the end of each day as you reflect on how things unfolded vs. your expectation, give yourself some grace. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes. Ask yourself what you could learn from how your day unfolded, what lessons can you pull from your day, then, show some grace to yourself. When you do that, it’s easier to show grace to other people as well.
After these three things, you get to start your next day by starting these three things all over again. After all, each day you get to choose where you sit in your life, and I suggest you choose to sit in the front-row.
Your Head Usher,
Marilyn Sherman, CSP, CPAE
Marilyn Sherman is an engaging, content-rich, inspiring hall of fame keynote speaker delivering a message to empower employees to new levels of success. Check Marilyn Sherman out at https://www.espeakers.com/s/inft/profile/4210?btsc=1