A Positive Attitude Can Drive Positive Changes!
May 8, 2020 – Don Howren, President and COO
You’ve all heard the adage ‘attitude is everything.’ During our current WFH environment, this has never been more profound. We talked about this on our company quarterly meeting (done via Microsoft Teams) this week. We took some time to allow folks to share how they’re approaching each day…and we concluded our attitude really shapes how we embrace each day. You may have heard the saying, “life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond.” And as I relayed to the company, I couldn’t be prouder about how we’ve responded.
A good attitude is more than a pithy slogan. There is an enormous amount of research on the topic and experts have identified the benefits of how a positive attitude can help including:
- Stress management – Research states that our reaction to stress, not the stress itself, is what produces the negative associated effects. A positive attitude allows you to see challenges as opportunities, not obstacles.
- Better collaboration – With an open, positive mindset, you’re more willing to work with other people and be open to new ideas.
- Job enjoyment – If you stay positive, you’re more likely to genuinely enjoy your job, and if you genuinely enjoy your job, you’ll be more likely to feel positive.
- Relationships and social support – We love to be around positive people. With a consistent, outward-facing positive attitude, people will gravitate toward you.
We’ve all seen or read about the correlation between positivity and physical fitness. Hey, I’m no doctor but it seems logical to me if you keep a positive attitude and remain healthy you’ll manage situations, like today, better than most. So, to that end I’ve tried to be vigilant about getting outside for some kind of daily exercise.
Another thing I’ve tried to do during this pandemic is try to help those who have been hit the hardest. It was pretty easy to find places to volunteer in local food pantries and distribution centers. The work these places are doing to help those who need food and supplies is humbling. Just go do it, you’ll be glad you did. A lot of how we manage and work on our attitude is up to each of us personally. Working on a more positive mindset is a great way to approach each day.
So, my words of advice this week are to identify a couple of things to help you stay positive which will help you stay energized and focused. Stay safe everyone!