“Positive words lead to positive emotions lead to positive actions lead to positive words to positive emotions to positive actions …”
Barbara Fredrickson, David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, Martin Seligman, et al
Words are the basic building blocks of language. We use words to build sentences and paragraphs, ideas, and to make conversation. Language allows us to structure and understand our own thoughts and feelings and to communicate intelligibly with others.
The words we choose reveal a lot about our attitudes and thoughts, and affect the people around us. Our words can inspire, influence, bring hope or they can keep people down. Our words can keep ourselves down.
We can make great strides toward living a more positive life by learning how to frame our thoughts, ideas and words in more positive terms. To cultivate positive language, we need to think before we speak and censor ourselves, edit our written communications more carefully, and commit to being more conscious (and conscientious) about the words we use.
With a little practice, we can use our words to turn a negative into a positive. Learn how to choose words thoughtfully, and eventually your thoughts and behaviours will become as positive as your language.
Positivity produces success in life as much as it reflects success in life. Positivity works to broaden and build our lives. Broadening refers to the opening of the mind with increased attention, creativity and decisiveness. Building refers to the ability to craft a better life.
Research shows the benefits of positive practices include:
- Increased resilience; increased ability to bounce back from stress
- Increased curiosity and visioning
- Expanded attention and thinking
- Increased creativity and receptivity to others’ ideas
- Increased scope for thought and action
- Increased appreciation of others
- Increased openness to possibility
- Increased resourcefulness
Seven reasons to be generous with appreciation: (Diana Whitney)
- Recognition lets people know they are on the right track; recognition is an investment not a reward
- Appreciation communicates and reinforces your values
- Compliments foster a positive emotional environment
- Gratitude is a verbal immune boost; it is good for your health
- Praise is good for the health of others
- Acknowledgment creates a sense of safety
- Gratitude encourages risk taking and experimentation
Mindset is enormously powerful and affects motivation, aspiration and achievement. A coachee’s mindset will impact the success of a coaching conversation; a coach’s mindset will also impact the success of a coaching conversation.
Some people see talents, skills and ability as fixed assets; things they were largely born with and which are mostly fixed in their extent. That is, you either have it or you don’t. This is known as a fixed mindset.
People with a fixed mindset may view themselves as entitled or superior. They tend to see failure as an indicator of lacking ability or talent; as meaning they are no longer clever, creative, talented, etc. Hence they will be less likely to take on challenges and risks. People with a fixed mindset tend to underperform. (Carol Dweck, 2008)
insium's newsletter on leadership: September, 2015
Written by geoff Tuesday, 29 September 2015 00:00
“The average describes, while the best prescribes. Studying the best makes excellence accessible to all of us.” Tal Ben-Shahar
- How do you make excellence accessible for yourself and for those you lead and interact with?
- What questions are you asking?