Learn to Focus on Positive In a Negative Environment (Human Factor)

The end of the Northwest Arkansas fast-growth bubble has made its presence known loud and clear over the past 12 to 18 months even though many in the area said it would not come about. Unsold homes, banks in trouble, several retiring public and university leaders and significant fuel costs have caused all types of people to feel that things are going down the toilet. It’s like a slow rainy morning when you are lying in bed, need to get up, but you would rather to sleep.

If we experience or read about negative things, our tendency is to get sucked into the negative and allow it to drive our thoughts, words and actions. So how does a person avoid the downward spiral of negativity and prevent its effect on family and co-workers?  In Steven Covey’s book, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” the first habit “Be Proactive” is considered foundational and significantly drives the remaining six habits. Covey presented this habit as “The Habit of Choice” and teaches that everyone has the freedom to choose their response to whatever they face.

In Lee J. Colan’s “Orchestrating Attitude – Getting the Best from Yourself and Others,” he states that “your attitude is something you can always control.” Lee goes on to say, “When we control our attitude, we influence how our body responds and performs.” Both Covey and Colan agree that a mental attitude precedes a physical reaction. There are many medical studies that link a positive outlook on life to a lower risk of early death.

So what are the key ingredients of being positive in a negative environment?

• Be rooted in your principles and values that come from your spiritual beliefs. I enjoy reading a daily devotional and spending time in a Bible study and prayer. Some of the circumstances and situations that I experience are a walk in the park compared to what I read in the Bible. Seeing how different Bible characters handled difficulties has helped prepare me for problems or negative situations I face in my workday and at home.
• Remember that we have the power to choose our response or attitude to circumstances we encounter or create. We can respond in a proactive (positive) manner or a reactive (negative) manner. If fuel cost to operate my vehicle becomes too high, I can choose to be creative and come up with alternative means to reduce my fuel consumption or become negative and gripe about high fuel cost.
• With these first two points in place, you can influence the environment you live and work in. Even if those around you are negative, you can help them to see that they do have a choice on how they respond to their situation. Over time, you can have a positive impact on them and the environment that you both are a part of.
• Remember life is short. I recall the many times I would ask local icon Clark McClinton how he was doing and he would say, “Every day that I wake up is a great day.” Remembering that life is precious can help us keep circumstances in perspective. Little things tend to stay little when we focus on the positive.
• Know with confidence that negative circumstances will more than likely change for the better over time. My wife and I were living in Houston, Texas, when the oil industry took a nosedive during the mid 1980s. There were over 20,000 houses on the market and many lost their jobs. People were walking away from their homes and mortgages. Today, Houston is experiencing growth and has diversified its business sectors to balance out future economic highs and lows.
• Observe individuals who are consistently positive in good and bad times. My parents are a good example. Both their fathers died earlier than they should have and there have been many tight financial times and sleepless nights over their 60-plus years of marriage striving to provide the quality of life that they wanted for their children. They provided me and my other four siblings with a great upbringing, college education, and numerous words of encouragement and support throughout our lives and even today. They recently completed a weeklong family reunion cruise down the western coast of Mexico, desiring to be with family even though both are experiencing difficulty walking.

I have also been inspired by my wife’s grandmother who will turn 100 in November. Her stories of growing up in the depression with her brother and three sisters make today’s environment a blessing.

You have a choice.

What will it be?

(Bruce Johanson is a principal partner with the Johanson Group, a HR/ management consulting firm in Fayetteville. E-mail him at [email protected].)