What POSITIVE PEOPLE do while waiting for somebody else to ‘Turn the Ship Around’

The metaphor here for “turn the ship around” is COURSE CORRECTION.

Maybe it is deep personal struggle — a massive health crisis, addiction out of control, or self-sabotaging behaviour.

Or maybe the course correction is on a larger spectrum — like a company restructuring or a family business changing leadership.

Or maybe it is a monumental mess, like that of a national political nature. *ahem

When stuff goes sideways and people appear to be slipping;
when you can’t understand the rationale or you feel stressed about outcomes you have no control over; 
OR 
when you feel like the world is going to h-e-double hockey sticks in a hand-basket…

Here are a few things positive people do while waiting around for things to come together:

Clean up their own backyard.

Whenever I point at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at me. It is easy to criticize, note room for improvement, and talk smack about others. Positive people understand that it is useless to examine the lives of others under a microscope. It isn’t time well spent, it proves absolutely futile, and it pisses most people off.

Positive people know that when the chips are down, the best use of time is to clean up their own corner of the world. They nourish relationships, improve their space, clean off their desk and work on improving the way they are showing up in the world. The only person you control is you.

Focus on their own goals.

What is it I am aiming for? How do I want to feel? Where do I want to be in 3 months, 2 years and five years? Positive people never lose sight of where they’re headed and what they are reaching for. In times of chaos, it is important to be crystal clear on what you’re working towards.

Goals provide a target. Targets need laser focus. Laser-focused people aren’t easily distracted by gossip, drama and the dysfunctional dynamics of energy sucking situations. Laser-focused people are busy dreaming, planning and accomplishing.

Reach out and ask how they can help.

How can I make your life easier today? Positive people understand that ‘what you give is what you get’. They’re willing to offer a kind word, a helping hand or a listening ear. When it’s hitting the fan positive people are the ones who are willing to serve.

The beautiful thing about service: it doesn’t have to be a substantial act. In fact, when you ask someone “How can I help you?”, the answer you’re most likely to receive is, ‘Just asking helps.’ [The disclaimer here: #authenticityrules.]

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, 
my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. 
You will always find people who are helping.” — Mister Rogers

Find a constructive outlet to manage stress.

Journal, kick-box, run, paint, write it down, talk it away, find comedy, sleep well, eat smart… Although one might want to go home and drink a box of wine at the end of a crazy week at the office, positive people understand that self-care is critical in times of intense stress.

Poor choices tend to exacerbate stressful situations. If your work-life is in the toilet, staying out all night drinking with the girls might not make your home life a happy one. Stress attacks our lizard brain — and common sense prevails. When positive people find themselves on rough waters they know the best plan of action is always to hunker down with safety gear, hang on to their loved ones and find the calm within themselves.

Build on their skill-set, educate or self-improve.

“You don’t have to be sick to get better.” ~ Ian Hill When a storm comes over the horizon, sometimes there is nothing you can do but batten down the hatches and wait it out. Positive people use times of change, turbulence and uncertainty to ‘sharpen the saw’ and learn new skills.

Seeking new tools to leverage your career or strategize for advancement — or charting a bold new path is a brilliant (and productive) use of time and energy.Positive people inherently understand that in the middle of external chaos and confusion, the only thing they control is their own thoughts, words and actions.

The last thing that families, communities and organizations need during times of uncertainty or crisis are more people sucking the wind out of the sails. Positive people cultivate healthy relationships, look after themselves and consistently choose to be the calm inside the storm.

Alriiiight, enough boat analogies.