Author: cbarney.45

The more positive your outlook is, and the more encouraging you are as a leader (think of a nurturing parent), the more you will energize the workforce around you. The positive energy from those around you will then feed back to you, which will create a self-perpetuating system that leads to improved work performance. After all, who does their best work when they feel that they have to walk on eggshells around their co-workers (or worse, around their boss)?

When you have a positive work environment, co-workers will be more likely to offer suggestions or come up with new ideas, because they don’t fear being chastised by others.

With a positive work environment, co-workers care more about their team. Their team becomes a second family. And when they care more, they’ll go the extra mile to achieve for their team.

Once negativity creeps into the workplace, it will encourage others to stay quiet, not to speak up/contribute, and to look to serve themselves, NOT the team.

Just remember, you can’t force anyone else to be positive. The only person whose actions you can control is your own. Be the positive force that you would want to work with and watch as your surrounding environment is transformed around you.

“Rules without relationships lead to rebellion.” – Andy Stanley

Imagine trying to impose rules on someone that you just met. It isn’t going to work. They’re going to respond poorly. They don’t know you, or know if you have their best interests at heart.

This is the same thing when it comes to being a manager at work or a parent at home. If you’re an absent parent, then decide that when you come home you’re going to implement new rules or be a tyrannical dictator when talking with your children, they won’t respect you.

Build your relational foundation with respect. If you treat them with respect, they will respect you. If you don’t treat them respect, don’t allow them to feel heard, and shut down every idea that they offer without hesitation, they will look forward to the day that they can leave.

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson

Reduce.

Reduce what you are consuming…this can be anything from how much food you’re eating, how much water you’re using, how much electricity you’re using, how many items you’re purchasing, etc. Realize that everything that we use and consume has come from the earth. And while it may seem like there are unlimited resources, there aren’t. What we do today affects our future and our children’s futures tomorrow. Practice living a minimalist lifestyle. Not only will it be better for the environment, but it can also be good for you financially, physically, and even mentally. Financially, it is pretty obvious that if you consume less, you’ll probably spend less. Physically, try to fast from food on occasion. Fasting has been shown to have many health benefits when done properly. Once you change your mindset about what is considered “enough,” you won’t constantly feel the need to have more, enhancing your mental state.

Reuse.

Get multiple uses out of the things that you already own, or out of the things that you plan to purchase. Buy something that is higher quality and will last. Single use items have low value and eventually find their way to a landfill or the ocean. Try to find unique ways to repurpose items before discarding them.

Repair.

After you’ve reduced what you have been using, then you find ways to reuse or repurpose those items, once they are breaking down, see if you can repair them instead of replacing them. This can save you a ton of money depending on what you’re taking about (like repairing a car versus buying a new one). Sure, it’s not as nice as a new item, but if you can change your mindset this can be a good thing. You can view it in the lens of how much money you saved. Or you can view it as an accomplishment if you physically did the work to repair it. And, of course, it’s going to be better for the environment if you can fix it up instead of trashing that and buying new.

Recycle.

Eventually, some things will need to be discarded. If they can be recycled, do it. It takes a little more effort on your part, but if everyone recycles even just a little more than they do now, it would make a world of difference.

How can you incrementally improve your life and the lives of your loved ones everyday? Reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle. You won’t regret it.

Check out this link for recycling basics…https://recyclingsimplified.com/recycling-basics/

When you have purpose for your life, it gives you the motivation to keep going when times get tough.

If you don’t have purpose, if you don’t have vision, if you don’t have a goal, then when life happens to you and you don’t get your way, what is going to stop you from quitting?

When you are passionate about achieving your goals or your life purpose, you are willing to sacrifice more. You’re willing to put in the hours, to sleep less, or to hold off on buying/doing something if it will help you in the long run. You’re willing to work harder than those around you because you’re excited about your goals! You have a vision and you’re willing to do what it takes to get there.

What are you living for?

If you want others to act positively, then you must start by acting positively. This isn’t just a sometimes thing. You need to be consistently positive – be optimistic, smile, show good body language, look others in the eyes, use verbal encouragement, and speak with energy.

If you have something going on in your personal life, don’t bring it to work (and vice versa). Don’t be moody. When you’re moody, those around you never know what to expect. If they’re walking on eggshells around you then you will lose touch with them. They will begin to not share what’s on their mind with you for fear of catching you at the wrong time.

Practice what you preach (positivity), otherwise they are just empty words. Those around you will see your hypocrisy and resist your message if they feel that it is not congruent with your actions.