"You say it long enough, it starts to become a part of you.” - Rita Pierson
Kenneth Hartley Blanchard is an American author, business consultant, and motivational speaker. He once said, “People who feel good about themselves produce good results, and people who produce good results feel good about themselves.”
How do we do this when we don’t see a lot of good?
We find the good.
Rita Pierson, a teacher for over 40 years, told an impactful story about finding the good in a Ted Talk seen by millions of viewers. She said:
“I gave a quiz — 20 questions. Student missed 18. I put a +2 on his paper and a big smiley face. He said, ‘Ms. Pierson, is this an F?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then why did you put a smiley face?’ I said, ‘Cause you’re on a roll! You got two right, you didn’t miss them all. And when we review this, won’t you do better?’ He said, ‘Yes, ma’am, I can do better.’ You see, -18 sucks all the life out of you. +2 said, ‘I ain’t all bad.’ ”
If you haven't seen the Ted Talk, it's definitely worth the watch. A leader I respect used Be the Plus 2 as the slogan for the kind of culture he wanted to create. His goal was for everyone to look for the good in every situation so we can lead and respond with positivity.
In life, there is plenty to feel bad about. We see, hear, feel, and process negativity much more often, longer, and deeper than positivity, so if you can find the good in life, it can be a competitive advantage for you and everyone around you.
When you find yourself stuck in the pit, you can either focus on the bad or find the good and use that to help you start your climb out.
Question of the Day: When you find yourself stuck in the pit, how can you find and use the good to climb out of it?
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