A Positivity Lesson From the Mean Streets of Seattle
So I just got back from Seattle, WA, where I accomplished one of my Life List goals of going to the top of the Space Needle, but I’ll save that story for another post.
The reason for this post is to make you aware of a trend I noticed along my journey.
I was in Seattle for about a week, and basically walked everywhere I went. Being a bit of a people watcher, I noticed a few things while I was out and about during the day.
The Negativity of the Streets
I noticed folks such as service industry workers, retail workers, and others on the lower rungs of society carrying themselves in a very negative way. They often spoke of “the man,” taxes, not getting paid enough, and even the infamous 99%. They routinely ignored those around them, were often complaining, and overall had very negative way of going about their day.
It was like they didn’t have any gratitude for anything, and it definitely affected the way people saw them.
The Positivity of the Successful
On the flip side of that, I also noticed a trend in those who had experienced a bit of success in their lives. These people weren’t king kong successes by any means. They were aspiring entrepreneurs, mid-level managers, and website owners much like myself.
But there was something different about them.
They were very pleasant to be around. They carried themselves in a very positive manner. They went out of their way to praise their peers, many of whom they were in competition with. They answered questions from people who they barely even knew. And they always made it known how grateful they were to be in the positions they were in.
These people were nearly always smiling, were full of life and energy, and had almost magnetic welcoming auras about them. It made them very approachable and a pleasure to be around.
The Incredible Power of Positive Thinking
Don’t think the mid-level manager and the entrepreneurs of the world don’t have anything to be stressed about. They most certainly do. They just choose to focus on the positives.
And don’t think the service industry workers have nothing positive going on in their lives. They just choose to focus on the negatives.
Do you think this type of mindset has something to do with the positions each one of them are in? I have no doubt about it. At one point or another these people were all in the same situation with the whole world at their fingertips.
The Life Lesson
A huge huge part of how you carry yourself, how you feel each and every day, and your overall mindset about life comes down to what you choose to focus your thinking on.
Like the successful folks in the story above, direct your focus on the positive things in your life, and strive to be the best person you can be.
This type of mindset is one of the top things that will ultimately determine your level of success.
I’m very happy to help shine a light on your day Deneen. You can come back any time for more reminders!
If I could get away with a post that just read “smile and laugh more” I would do it. It’s a large and underrated key to a lot of success in this world.
This was such a great reminder. I have noticed this myself in the different walks of people I have observed. I notice a definite difference in the different flows of my life, especially financial, when I get bogged down at times with the negative. By nature my default is positive. However, I have noticed how effected I get when I’m around negative people who go on about politics, economy, etc.
My dad is one of them and I can notice an almost instant drop. I spend so much energy trying to shine a light on the conversation or situation. In those rare moments when the light is received and the conversation shifts, it’s very uplifting. More times than not though it just leaves me drained and triggered.
Good news is, I have lots of tools to turn this around and for this I am very grateful. I am grateful for my toolbox that I have continued to shape and fill over the years.
Sometimes it’s having the people, or a person to go to. Writing a gratitude journal. Making a point to smile at the bank teller or grocery check. Tip a little more, take a walk in nature, etc. Just like the negative is contagious, so is the positive. For that I am super grateful.
Thank you for writing and posting this. Today was one of those days for me. It was a great reminder.