Positivity leads to Productivity so let’s start there.
There’s an ancient Chinese proverb (cue cheesy gong music): May you live in interesting times. Some have actually described that proverb as not just a saying but a curse. Either way, it’s clearly manifested in our own times, with all of the anxiety, chaos, and uncertainty that surrounds us on a daily basis.
That’s why I’ve made it a point to avoid the distraction and disruption of the 24 hour news cycle, and preserve my peace of mind. I’m a firm believer that positivity is just as important for your mental health as it is for your Personal Brand. Absorbing negativity, even subconsciously, casts a pall over everything, pushing your audience away.
Laughter and positivity go hand-in-hand, and in these “interesting” (read turbulent) times, comedy is an always reliable refuge. It’s one of those things that brings comfort just knowing it will always be there for you. It just so happens that, as a one-time standup comic, I have a knack for affecting virtually any dialect, from A (for Australian) to U (for Ukraine). I’ve admittedly never attempted Venezuela. Wales is too tricky, X is not a thing, Yugoslavia is too specific, and Zaire has been The Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1997. Doing these impressions is both funny and cathartic, a kind of linguistic escape act, if you will, letting you try out being someone else (or from somewhere else) when where you are right now is just too much.
But since my mantra is “Sell the Truth,” I can’t very well pretend I’m not American. Authenticity is my calling card, after all. And in all honesty, challenges abound no matter what part of the world you’re from.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind a spot on a beach in a community of no more than 250. So far, I’ve identified several possibilities. Now I need to visit all of them and interview each and every single one of their inhabitants. Seriously though, why the beach? Well, who doesn’t crave the simplicity, connection, freedom from all the noise?
Like pretty much anyone else, I want my life and business to thrive. But somehow I know that “keeping my head down” just isn’t the answer. It’s an approach that just doesn’t work, in life or in business. Authenticity is just as much about being truthful, as it is about not looking away from the truth, right? Even when the truth is not a pretty picture. So, I’m Falling in Love.
Not so much in the romantic sense. It’s more about falling in love with positivity.
With actions and ideas that build, rather than break, and with the good feelings I have for the people out there who want to ADD instead of DETRACT.
With people who see the good in the world, and are actively working to make it better. I’m taking the time to focus on the things I love.
Things like laughter;
- warm hugs;
- human beings;
- dogs;
- free speech;
- diversity;
- the WNBA.
I founded YES BRAND BUILDERS with an emphasis on the YES, in keeping with the “Yes, and” rule of improv: to build on a premise, rather than tear it down. Embracing positivity (or Positronics, as I like to call it) is healthy both inside and out, bringing all of us closer together, igniting our creativity, and helping us build on our own personal foundations every day.
So I say put the news on the backburner, even for a day, no matter what network it is. Replace the stress with connection, curiosity, and creativity.
Think about what you could fall in love with if you gave yourself that space? Three steps that have worked for me: controlling my info intake, curating my circle, and creating daily wins. To be clear, all of this doesn’t mean burying your head in the sand.
The interesting times we live in aren’t going anywhere, for better or worse, and they’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready to re-engage.
But for now, Embargo the News. Pursue your dreams. Write the Great American Novel. Learn to do that Welsh accent. Take a chance.
Or Fall in Love with positivity. That’s when things really get interesting.
If you enjoyed this article, you might want to join me on September 25 for Actual Intelligence: A.I. That Won’t Kill Your Brand
And of course I’m always happy to chat about working with you 1-1 or in my Mastermind.
