The Power of Positivity

In this extremely fast paced world today, with social media delivering news at lightning fast pace, and a never ending form of communication, negativity often fills "the space". We actually have to work hard at finding positive news stories, positive posts, positive feeds of any sort. An sometime is seems a though there is actually not a single positive idea, story, or just flat anything out there. Media has a feeding frenzy on destroying anything and anyone, and as the old adage goes, "It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it." is no longer true. It actually takes closer to 30 seconds given the speed and flow of information, given all those constantly seeking vengeance or those that cherish in other people's failures. Give those things, the world tends to be more evil than ever and in that same action creating more distrust then ever seen at anytime in this world's existence.

That is why it is no more important than ever that we seek the power of positivity, the power of positive thinking! This fine lady in the picture, a Hall of Famer, taught literally thousands of kids and future teachers, and I bet if you polled them all, tell me the top two values or words that made a lasting impact on you, and if given the choices, they would overwhelmingly choose one as being "You have to think positive!" The word positive was engraved in my brain, much like mediocrity, prior to any of my memories. And it is this word that carries me forward today, and one that I pass on and teach to all those I have the honorable opportunity to lead or speak to. It is a word that if entrenched in your brain, has the relentless power to overcome many things we could not overcome without that one single word's affect on the synapses firing in our brain. The human brain is the most powerful organ in the world, and thinking positively or negatively actually can prove to equal life or death. It can prove success or failure. It can prove wealth or poverty.

Prior to Sunday, in this world, there were more pessimists than optimists, more naysayers than cheerleaders, more takers than givers. But one powerful truly tragic event changed that, all in a matter of hours. The news changed. People's hearts and minds changed. The "talking heads" changed. Emotions of an entire nation changed. And the power of positivity, generosity, courage, and hope kicked into overdrive. All of this occurred, literally by the flip of the switch. Purely amazing, but many of us know will occur every time by the true American Pull Together For Each Other Culture. Now,, what if we could do this every day? What if we could do this every day, by the flip of a switch? Can you imagine a world where each of us wakes up every morning to the positivity of seeing a nation pull together and pull up our bootstraps to choose to help someone other than ourselves!?

The fact is, we can! We just have to choose to do that! The news has the power to drive the day's storyline, but it doesn't have the power to choose your daily storyline! Be the power of positivity. Be the beacon of positive light that is so bright it "flips someone else's switch"! Be that person the everyone knows is that ray of positive sunlight for others! Be that person! It takes convection. It takes passion and courage. But remember, conviction leads to courage and purpose breeds passion. And passion leads to positivity!! You deserve it! Your students and players deserve it! You family deserves it! Those you lead deserves it! Cheers amigos! And Happy Leadership Thursday! #KeepAtIt #ChangingLives #LeadershipThursday#PrayForHouston #TeachPositivity