Will positive thoughts help me survive?

Positive thinking creates something of a conundrum for social scientists who like to think in terms of Darwin's survival of the fittest.  Quite frankly, they point out, negative emotions seem to have had more to do with our ancestors' survival than positive ones.  Negative emotions such as fear and anger drive the fight or flight mechanism that helped early man survive the harsh, predator-filled environment he encountered when he stepped out of his cave. 

But according to psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, the positive emotions early man felt allowed him to broaden his mind and build intellectual, physical, and social resources, the very things we must do today to survive in business. Positive emotions solve problems concerning personal growth and development which prepare the person for surviving future hard times.[i]

In coming to these conclusions, one of the sources Fredrickson cites is Alice M. Isen, who did more than 20 years of experiments into how positive attitude influences thought processes.  Isen's experiments showed that when people feel good, their thinking becomes more creative, integrative, flexible, and open to information.[ii]

Using some of the techniques below will help you to see that when you are at your lowest, you have no place to go but up!

Make friends with positive people.  A positive attitude is infectious and may be the only bug you will actually WANT to catch.  A little careful observation of your friends and acquaintances will reveal the ones with whom you want to spend more time.  Positive people smile more and always look for the good in every situation.  They are the type of people who when it rains say, “Wow!  The grass is sure getting green!”  And when their children are driving them crazy, they thank God they have healthy, active kids.  This is not a Pollyanna “everything is perfect” attitude.  It is important to recognize that your life isn’t and never will be perfect in all respects, but it is equally vital to know that the good can outweigh the bad if you look for it.

One exercise I find helpful is to review my day before I fall asleep and try to name ten good things that happened.  Some days this is a bigger challenge than others, and I have to resort to such things as, “When I woke up this morning, there was no chalk outline,” but it is worth the effort.  Remembering the many things that have gone well keeps you focused on the good rather than on the bad.

Another part of maintaining a positive attitude is keeping things in perspective.  When I used to call my dad to complain about whatever problems had beset me that day, he would ask, “So, other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?”  It was his way of reminding me to always keep things in perspective. 

Remember that no matter what has gone wrong, there is always someone who has it worse.  At one point, I was very focused on the people whose lives were crushed by Hurricane Katrina.  Even though I might have experienced some professional setbacks, I had my family, my home, my pets, and enough food and drinking water to last several weeks.  Life was good, at least in comparison to those who had just experienced Katrina first-hand.

Reading positive books is another way to develop and maintain a positive, hopeful attitude.  One of my favorite authors is Zig Ziglar, whose books are filled with positive inspiration.  For a Christian perspective, Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now, is very uplifting.  There are also many websites, such as PositiveInstitute.com, which are dedicated to promoting positive attitudes.

When you surround yourself with positive influences, you will see your own attitude start to lift.  Winning the attitude battle is the first step on the long journey to business success.  Although a positive attitude won’t guarantee your achievement, it will go a long way towards maintaining your spirits as you keep trying.