Don't Deny, But Overcome The Negatives

Having a positive attitude does not mean that you live your life with rose - colored glasses, denying that there is anything wrong. It also does not mean that you have to be an apologist for the ways things are, and the way things are being done. Rather, being positive means seeing things as they are, but taking actions in a proactive, timely manner, to transform adversities into opportunities. It is not being negative to see that things are functioning in a less than optimal manner and to say that something is wrong or askew, or could be done better. It is only being negative when your attitude and actions are less than constructive in nature, and all you do is dwell on the negatives without taking actions to change things, and to improve the situation.

1. For over thirty years, I have professionally trained and consulted to over a thousand people either on a leadership path or in positions of leadership. During that same time, I have given many hundreds of seminars, training programs, etc., on topics related to self - improvement. I have observed that, at many times, individuals overcompensate for negative tendencies by accusing anyone who disagrees with the masses or the leaders' positions, of being negative. In fact, negativity has very little to do with agreement or disagreement, and even less to do with conformity and accepting things as they are. Only if one's automatic reaction is that something cannot be done, or if the attitude is one of looking for what's wrong, rather than evaluating ideas in terms of the bigger picture, is it being and acting negative. Both great leadership, as well as self - improvement, demands that one question everything, while maintaining an open mind. While it is negative to reject something out of hand, or because that's not the way it's done, or it's not the way one personally believes and feels, it is always constructive to examine everything to come up with ways to improve and do things better.

2. While a positive can - do attitude is perhaps one of the most essential ingredients to personal success, being positive is a state of mind, and an approach to life, not simply espousing certain positive phrases or rhetoric. Being positive never means blindly agreeing or refusing to question. Doing that is both dangerous and irresponsible. Positive people are those that look for ways to get things done, and do so, rather than being negative, and approaching challenges or obstacles from the point of view that it is impossible.

Most people who have not succeeded will tell you that it wasn't their fault, but rather that the task was impossible, unrealistic, or couldn't be done. However, those that actually succeed find ways to make the difficult possible, and understand that something is only impossible until it is done successfully!