The Power of Positive Summit

So, if you’ve read anything I’ve ever written, you probably know I’m a believer in finding the positive, and that positivity is a choice.

That’s why I LOVE what Jon Gordon and his team put together once a year.

Check it out here: https://www.powerofpositivesummit.com

There are a lot of bite-sized inspirational talks, given by people from all walks of life (coaches, speakers, charity founders, teachers) and they are wonderful.

Some of my favorite quotes so far:

“You don’t choose your negative thoughts but you can choose not to listen to them”-Jay Glazer

“The best way to win the day is to win the moment. Moments turn into days, days into weeks and weeks into years.”-Doshia Woods

“Unshakeable confidence isn’t about the results. It’s about self awareness.”-David Nurse

“It’s not always the path of least resistance that gets you where you want to go, it’s the path that’s worth taking”-Sam Acho

“When we focus on honoring others as our mission in life, differences fade. Prejudice becomes a foreign concept.”- Miles McPherson

There are a LOT more. You should definitely check it out.

You most likely will find something there to help fuel you daily, and I guarantee it will make your Tuesday a little happier!

-Dr Lindeman

Toxic positivity

I recently discovered the term “toxic positivity.”

Toxic positivity is the belief that no matter how dire or difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset. It’s a “good vibes only” approach. (Taken from http://www.verywellmind.com)

I choose to be positive, and I write about positivity not because I see the world through rose-colored glasses, but because I decide to realize the world is a beautiful place.

I whole-heartedly believe that when circumstances are awful, we should recognize that, allow ourselves to grieve, mourn, cry, get frustrated, angry and lash out some even.

It is always ok to not be ok.

However, I also believe that it is up to ourselves to change our situation for the future. It is up to us to learn from any challenge and apply it toward a growth mindset.

The only way positivity can be toxic is in the absence of empathy. If someone (even if it is yourself) is going through some horrible situations, I don’t believe we should talk to them (ourselves) about maintaining positivity without acknowledging THE SUCK of the situation. First and foremost, be kind, listen, hug, comfort.

Also realize that part of the comfort is the belief/faith that all things pass and life will move on and in fact can become better, eventually.

Have a blessed Tuesday!

-Dr Lindeman

Have to? Or GET TO?

Jon Gordon has discussed this topic quite a few times on stage and in his books.

How many times do you think (especially on Monday’s) about what you “have to” do today?

“I have to go to work.”

“I have to take out the trash.”

“I have to pay that bill.”

“I have to unsubscribe from the free paper towels Monday email service. I still have no idea how they got my email…”

If you took the time and wrote out all the times you think about what you “have to” do, the list would be staggering.

If we could reframe those thoughts into “get to”, just replace one word, our world seems brighter.

You see, there are thousands of people who would love to GET TO do what you HAVE TI DO.

You have to go to work? Tons of people are out of jobs right now.

You have to take out the trash? A lot of people are homeless and don’t have a trash can to take out.

You have to unsubscribe from stupid junk emails? The world is full of people who don’t even own a computer.

And from another angle, everything we think we have to do, actually helps us somehow in our own lives.

So today, each time you think of something you have to do, spend twice the time thinking of how blessed you are to get to do it, and how whatever it is will actually help you in the long run.

Get to it this Monday 🙂

-Dr Lindeman

Human Connection

This morning, I watched a great interview with Nicholas Epley (author of “Mindwise” and Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago).

The interview was about the role of human connection on happiness, and the lengths people go to in order to avoid social interaction sometimes even though research shows that such connections make both parties much happier.

He discussed an interesting study.

People’s happiness levels were measured after increasing their income 4x (400%!) and measured people’s happiness levels when they felt “lonely yesterday.”

The feeling of loneliness had a 7x impact (negatively) in happiness levels compared to an income increase of 400%!

That is remarkable!

Loneliness DRASTICALLY affects our happiness levels.

And yet in many instances, we choose to be lonely. On the bus, the train at D.I.A., on planes, in the checkout line at the supermarket, etc, we choose to keep to ourselves rather than connect with those around us. Some studies show this is because we feel we don’t want to “bother them,” but the research shows in almost all instances, engaging in light conversation/connection benefits the happiness of both parties.

We are more “connected” than ever before by virtue of social media, but we are also more lonely than ever before. Especially during these crazy times, it is even more imperative to reach out to others.

We are all lonely at times.

Work to change that today.

You will make others, AND YOURSELF, much happier in the process.

Happy Tuesday!

-Dr. Lindeman

Pygmies and the horizon

This story was taken from the book below:

“About 50 years ago a Pygmy named Kenge took his first trip out of the dense, tropical forests of Africa and into the open plains in the company of an anthropologist. Buffalo appeared in the distance-small black specks against a bleached sky- and the Pygmy surveyed them curiously. Finally, he turned to the anthropologist and asked what kind of insects they were. “When I told Kenge that these insects were indeed large buffalo, he roared with laughter and told me not to tell such stupid lies.”

The Pygmy had no concept of a distant horizon, he lived his life in a dense tropical forest. His perception drove his reality.

Sometimes we need to borrow others’ vision in order to see what is possible. Sometimes we don’t have a concept of a distant horizon 🙂

Borrow a BIG vision for your future today!

Happy Thirsday

-Dr Lindeman

You build your own walls

Many times, we are responsible for the limits we have in life, because in fact… we put them there.

Our self-doubt, our desire to stay within our comfort zone (not expand our horizons), our routines, our beliefs… all of these are bricks in the walls we build to stay right where we are.

Take some time to notice the bricks you build, and then get to work knocking them down!

Happy Monday!

-Dr. Lindeman

Always Learning

Every experience provides us with an opportunity to learn.

Happy, sad, traumatic, exhilarating… they all allow us to gain knowledge, on what to do if/when we are presented with a similar situation in the future.

Take some time to understand and revel in each experience, knowing no matter what, we will emerge better and more wise 🙂

Happy Wednesday!

-Dr. Lindeman

“When a team has camaraderie and clarity, progress is inevitable.”

SO VERY true!

A couple of keys here…

Who is on your “team”?

Your life is full of different groups of people. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, and your mentors.

Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who can lift you up, push you to excel and share a common vision.

When you can gather these teams, enjoy each other, work to improve together, support one another with clarity, there is no way to go but up.

When you have the right support environment, you will be propelled toward your dreams.

Surround yourself with the good peeps, my friends :)!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

team

Want to forge a more positive team? Check out my book on Amazon!

Don’t aim for success or happiness

“Don’t aim at success-the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue…as the unintended side effect of ones personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”-Victor Frankl “Man’s Search For Meaning” and reprinted in the book below.

Check it out on Amazon

While you are there, check out Dr. Lindeman’s book “Purposely Positive: How to Live an Intentional and Inspired Life.”

Serenity + Great Aims = AwesomeSauce

I LOVE this quote.

It is so easy to do one of the two things.

We can be serene… and lazy, and complacent.

We can have great visions/aims… and become demanding because we haven’t hit them yet. We can push too hard, we can give up.

It is when we can combine the two, when we can work toward big goals, but do so serenely, loving each step along the way, that is when the magic happens.

Go make some big dream/serene awesome sauce today!

Happy Thursday!

Dr. Joel Lindeman

P.S. Check out my book on Amazon! 20 five star ***** reviews so far!