Fortunate are those who harness the power of a positive outlook.
In the same way that patience and tolerance take more effort than anger and hatred, positivity takes more muscle than negativity — but the rewards are immeasurably sweeter.
Here are a few of the ways a positive outlook leads to success:
1. It inspires creativity.
When we are in a negative frame of mind, we don’t listen to our creative inner voices. This leads to decreased output, lower-quality decision-making, and poorer problem-solving.
Creativity is at the core of collaboration in the workplace and in our daily lives. There’s no quicker way to kill the spirit of a team than by introducing negativity into the mix. Work on maintaining a positive attitude despite the challenges that face you.
2. It helps you manifest success.
A mountain biker knows the surest way to crash into a tree is to stare at it. We tend to fulfill the prophecies we visualize for ourselves. Through both conscious and subconscious actions, we steer ourselves toward the point we’re fixated on — whether it be that tree or the open trail beside it. A positive outlook helps you expect success and keep yourself on track toward it.
3. It helps you exude confidence.
When you’re positive, you’re confident in yourself and what you’re capable of. This falls into those subconscious actions in the previous point: your body language, facial expression, voice, and demeanor tend to follow suit. In the workplace, these cues go a long way in how others view your abilities.
4. It helps you see the opportunities hiding behind the problems.
Negativity tends to breed a sense of defeat. The most difficult problems require the greatest courage, and summoning a positive attitude can save the day when the stakes are high. By ignoring the static noise and focusing on a solution, opportunities will present themselves more readily. Decide that everything will be fine. You’ll find that it almost always is.
5. It makes obstacles disappear.
It’s like magic: adopt a positive attitude and you’ll find there are fewer difficulties in your life.
It’s not magic, actually. A positive attitude allows you to reframe obstacles as opportunities, difficulties as surmountable challenges. When you refuse to let negativity drive your thinking, you gain a certain unstoppable-ness that helps you gain and maintain momentum.
Treat positivity like a diet. Practice self-control and don’t cave. Develop a mantra to get you through the hard times. Unlike a diet, you’ll likely see results in the first hour.
