Find The Joy: The Case For Unrelenting Positivity
There are countless things that keep business founders and leaders awake at night, even in normal times.
Clients, employees, investors, and everything in between can, and often do cause terrible stress and anxiety. Layer in complicated social unrest, a nonsensical economy, and a likely second spike in COVID-19 cases, and things become even more stressful.
The unconscious negativity that results from prolonged and persistent anxiety almost always has seriously detrimental effects on your team, relationships, and personal wellbeing. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Everyone has the potential to choose a different path; a path of positivity and joy, even in the face of the most difficult situations.
This topic came up recently at my company, bodētree advisors. It’s a very exciting time for us as we’re growing rapidly and working with new partners clients all the time. However, there is still the overhang of COVID-related uncertainty to contend with, both internally and with our clients.
It’s easy to give in to feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, and negativity in times like this. However, I’ve learned that it’s possible to find joy in even the most challenging of situations. It isn’t easy, and it takes a lot of practice, but developing this mindset of unrelenting positivity can truly change the way you and your team members interact with the world.
It starts with self-awareness
A strong sense of self-awareness is a vital trait that every member of the team needs to develop and nurture. Without it, it’s impossible to control your reaction to the trials and tribulations that life so often presents. This is especially important for leaders, as their actions (either conscious or unconscious) set the tone for the entire organization.
The first step towards self-awareness is to recognize and be open about the things that cause stress, anxiety, and negativity in your life. This enables you to prepare yourself and your team for challenging situations well ahead of time. Positivity and negativity are a choice; the only trick is that you have to be self-aware enough to recognize it.
Control is an illusion
Humans have a persistent and particularly nasty tendency to try and control everything around them. A strong argument can be made that fruitless attempts at control are generally at the root of all suffering. Business leaders, in particular, tend to box themselves and their team into painful situations when they try to exert control over things that cannot be controlled. This futility leads to anger, frustration, and irrational decisions. Once this behavior takes hold, it builds on itself and can spread like wildfire throughout an organization.
The key to fostering positivity and a functional team is the ability to recognize that control is simply an illusion. Once you stop trying to control your circumstances, you open yourself up to countless possibilities. Understanding this allows you to find new and positive ways to react to the challenges you encounter along your way. The only thing you have control over is your outlook.
Find the joy in all things
Everyone has the ability to find joy in any circumstance, regardless of how challenging it seems. Joy can often be found in the suffering itself, as it helps you learn more about yourself and grow stronger. It’s a choice we have the ability to make. Every situation can be viewed in a positive light if you look from the right angle. I challenge my team to stop and find the good in every situation they encounter. With enough practice, positivity becomes your default setting.
Fostering a spirit of unrelenting positivity, both personally and professionally, doesn’t mean that you have to be naïve. It is always in everyone’s best interest to be in tune with reality and aware of all possible outcomes. The important thing is not to become so caught up in the bad that you lose yourself to anxiety, frustration, and negativity.
It is our choice to be happy and positive in the face of challenges. Positivity and joy are contagious and can quickly shape the very fabric of your reality. As we move forward into the next exciting phase of our business, there will no doubt be challenges. However, I have every confidence that my team will find the joy in every situation and move forward in a spirit of unrelenting positivity.
