There are many ways to live life. Some people choose to have a positive attitude. Some may be paralysed by angst. The route they choose has consequences for themselves and other people. Let’s explore these themes.
The Positive Attitude Approach
People who take this route are often grateful, generous and aim to do good work in their lives. They want to encourage people during their time on the planet.
Such people are often positive realists, however, rather than wide-eyed optimists. They have a positive attitude but are also good at reading reality. They focus on what they can control and are good at being able:
To recognise the positive qualities in themselves, people, teams and organisations;
To recognise the positive and negative patterns in people, teams and organisations;
To recognise how to build on the positive patterns and manage negative patterns to achieve positive results.
Such people are not blind to potentially negative things in the world. They sometimes deal with this, however, by following the old saying that:
“What you focus on, you become.”
They therefore aim to study: a) the positive things that are happening in the world; b) the positive things that are being done to find solutions to difficult challenges.
Such people use this information to maintain a positive attitude. They then translate this into positive actions and do their best to produce positive achievements.
Some people follow this approach when acting as a parent, partner, carer or friend. Some follow it when working as a medic, teacher, coach, therapist, trusted advisor or in another professional role.
Such people often focus on success. They aim to study what works, simplify what works – in a profound way – and share what works. They then follow strategies work and do their best to achieve success.
The Paralysed By Angst Approach
Different people follow this route for different reasons. Some people may have had experiences that mean they look at life through a negative lens. This may also follow negative scripts in the daily lives.
Some people may have an external locus of control rather than internal locus of control. They may say: “Things happen to me,” rather than, “I can make things happen.”
Some people may be highly sensitive and feel overwhelmed by experiences or what is happening in the world. They may also dwell on events and feel paralysed by angst.
Some dictators, politicians and leaders aim to suppress people. They aim to make people feel scared, helpless and impotent. This can lead to people feeling there is nothing they can do to change things.
People who have a positive attitude are often curious and also gather information about what is happening in the world. Sometimes they feel depressed for a while, but then they build on what they can control.
Such people focus on what they can do to encourage others and plant seeds of hope in their lives. They aim to do positive things that can help people or the planet.
Can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of the positive attitude approach? If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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