Positive or Negative?

You know, it’s a good day. Of course, any day is what you make of it. Each and every one of us has good that comes into our lives. And each and every one of us also has bad things that come into our lives, also. The trick to handling these positives and negatives is to determine what you focus on, and how you deal with the rest.

Think about what you have. If you have good things in your life, even if there are only one or two, that is where you want to focus some positive attention. It is essential to pay attention to the good things because those things that are ignored often have a tendency to go away. I know, I’m battling that with my teeth right now.

So how do you deal with all those things that are negatives in your life? Well, to start with, don’t gripe or grumble over them. If you complain over adverse problems, they realize that you’re paying attention and then they may never leave, and you’ll be stuck with them.

What you want to do is start with one negative thing, fix it, so it becomes a positive and not a negative, and move on to the next. Then, you take care of the second problem, changing it from a negative into a positive, and move on from that one. I would like to tell you that you can get to a point where there’ll be no more negatives, and although that won’t happen. I can tell you that as you add to and focus on your positives, you will find that your problems will dwindle both in number and size.

Planning this out is good, just remember planning doesn’t fix anything, actions do. People who make positive responses, get things done. People who start with griping, seem to lose momentum and end up merely griping and grumbling. Remember it’s the griping and grumbling that causes the negative items to hang around in the first place because you’re paying more attention to them.

Will any of this work out perfectly? No. Just remember the more you do this, the better you’ll get at it and the smaller and further away your problems will seem.

If you don’t believe me, do a good deed for someone else. Go to the local soup kitchen and offer to serve for a meal or two. While doing so watch the people in the crowd as the food is served. Fairly soon you will start to understand that although everyone being served has similar circumstances, some are focusing on the good in their life while others are focusing on the negatives.

The big question for you, is what you want to focus on?

Thanks for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof