People can be downright negative and mean. Negativity is so commonplace and has been so ubiquitous throughout human history that we have developed ways to explain all sorts of negative behaviors and bad manners—even to the point of excusing them. We use catch phrases like “the human condition” and “human nature” to surmise that negativity is just a part of who we are, we listen to behavioral scientists explain “flight or fight” and how we are drawn to negativity rather than positivity because it’s a survival mechanism inherited from the days of our ancestors living in caves, and we celebrate social norms and excuses like “boys will be boys” to minimize and even sweep away the harmful effects of being mean and nasty to others. Is this truly who we were meant to be? Or can we use proven strategies from the field of customer service to turn it around and positively impact the lives of everyone we encounter—even to the point of empowering our own lives?
Real World Story:
Reading newspapers, surfing news sites on the Internet, listening to news radio or watching broadcast news is a rather negative experience for many of us—a real downer. But we don’t want to be out of touch with the world around us, so we need to keep up on the news events of the day. So, the other night, I was sitting around, watching television and was heart broken by a news report of a random act of kindness—heart broken but inspired about our “human condition” to shine a bit of light in a rather dark world.
This week, I share with you this heart-breaking story of inspiration and hope—the hope that we can all start to simply be nice to one another, to be positive and nice rather than negative and mean in order to evolve our “human condition.”
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Total Stranger. Since birth, we have been told, “Never talk to strangers.” Great advice for when we were kids. But as grown adults with good instincts, why do we completely ignore and dismiss all strangers, even to the point of being rude. My challenge to you for the next 30 days: give strangers a simple smile or a quick hello. Then look for a change of expression on faces and see how it makes you feel.
- Acknowledge. When you are the recipient of a positive experience by someone you know or a total stranger, thank him and then SHOUT it from the rooftops! Let everyone know how this positive experience has affected you. Let’s make positivity contagious!
- Pay It Forward. Let’s not get stuck in the mud or be timid to pass on a good deed. There is nothing more tragic than letting a good deed die. The next time someone does something positive for you, pass it on. Give that one deed the energy to keep on giving. Let that one good deed be contagious!
Remember: We’ve been conditioned to believe that we are products of evolution. We are the result of the some natural progression that has great power over us. Maybe it’s time that WE take evolution into our own hands. Maybe it’s time that WE start to write our own destinies—destinies filled with positivity, good works, and caring for our fellow man.
Today, let’s start a movement of positivity. When was the last time someone surprised you with a positive act? Please SHARE in the comments section below. Let’s infect others with positive and contagious stories that we can continue to share and pass along.