“Positivity has a better ROI than negativity.” -Jon Acuff
When you first read that quote, you think, “Duh that is obvious.” but then practically speaking how many of us actually live it out? Yes, I believe that positivity is better than negativity but do my actions prove that?
Let me ask this question, “Do you find it easier to be negative than positive? Why?”
It’s almost like our default setting is to be negative unless you are one of those people. You know the kind. The ones who are optimistically positive all the time even if they are having the worst day ever. Yeah, that’s definitely not me.
In trying to answer my own question I realized that being negative feels like the default setting because negativity allows me to avoid taking responsibility.
Having a bad day? Blame it on the weather, traffic, your kids, or your job. Now I do not have to do the work and figure out why I am in a bad mood. I can just blame others and move on…or so you thought.
The cycle just keeps going and eventually, you are miserable.
So then what’s the solution? Be positive.
I know this is easier said than done. It’s hard to for me to be positive so a practice I do is to find the good in any situation.
Traffic is awful…I get to listen to a few more minutes of my favorite podcast.
Kids are driving me insane… someday I will miss this chaos so why not join them!
It takes work to find the positive in a situation but in the end, the ROI is better than if you chose negativity.