The Power of Positivity

Positivity is a sunflower pot on the dash of a Shanghai taxi

Positivity is one of my New Year's resolutions: positive thinking, positive attitude, positive language, positive outcomes.

Of course, the word positivity is not a real word, at least not as used above (urban dictionary has a relevant definition, with a fitting example of ironic use). The lack of Oxford-accepted definition is beside the point. What matters are the changes that a mind shift towards positivity delivers.

A week in, it turns out the changes can be significant. Bemoaning people and events outside of one's control can consume a lot of time, sometimes much more than the time applied to one's own work efforts. In other words, positivity can be a surprisingly effective time management tool.

Not that every moment is lollipops and sunflowers. Outcomes are often volatile and uncertain. Maintaining positivity is tough when circumstances change unexpectedly - and when those around you get mired in negativity. Such is life, and a week spent focusing on positivity is not sufficient to measure sustained results of this mindset.

Still, positivity is a refreshing change of mindset, if only to reduce the daily stress of working life. If nothing else, positivity makes it easier to leave the workday in a better mood because positive thinking and positive attitudes means that the day's outcomes cannot be that bad, right?

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