***Diane Seeks Positivity – The Impact of Positivity

Written by: Coach Meg - Margaret Moore

Recently I asked coaches in the Wellcoaches community to submit a list of ten ways in which they want to thrive. Diane is dealing with some challenging health issues and asked me for a series of coaching sessions to work on her health and life satisfaction.

Diane Feels Good

Diane continues to move toward her wellness vision: “To be in a state of health with sufficient energy and vitality that enables me to support myself in all realms – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial – and that enables me to explore and pursue my life’s mission.” To maintain forward progress, we entertained the idea that positivity is a key contributor to resilience, or one’s ability to bounce back from challenges and obstacles.

The Impact of Positivity

In her blog, positivity researcher Barbara Fredrickson tells a wonderful story about the impact of positive emotions:

A few weeks after the book release, I was invited to speak at The Regulator Bookshop in nearby Durham, North Carolina. After I made opening remarks and read a passage from my book, a gentleman raised his hand to say that six days after he starting reading Positivity, his friends and family started calling him “the new Jim.” He acknowledged that he’d been rather curmudgeonly most of his life, and that learning about the science of positive emotions opened up new possibilities for him, possibilities that rippled through his web of family and friends. No, I hadn’t paid him to say this – I’d never met Jim before, old or new. Yet his words touched my heart and reminded me why I wrote the book. I wrote it for the new Jim.

Did I mention that Jim is 88?

A Few Facts About Positivity

Fredrickson’s book, Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive, is a valuable resource for anyone interested in increasing their own relationship to positivity. In it, she summarizes the science behind the impact of these emotions through engaging stories and practical tips. Here are a few facts about positivity that might compel you to explore the idea more deeply:

1. Positivity changes our minds. It’s not just what is in or on our minds that changes when we experience positivity; it is also changes how our mind works. Our thinking literally expands and we begin to see ourselves, others, and circumstances in ways that we never had before. We transform the way that our brain works.
2. Our future is transformed. As we experience positive emotions, we also build more resources – mental, physical and social. Each of those resources increases our capacity to change, and to be resilient in the face of challenge. We are better equipped to make wise choices and set up better support systems to ensure success.

Reduce negativity. You may find it curious that the suggestion isn’t to eliminate negativity. Fredrickson actually reminds us of the benefits of negative emotions, including those times when we need to healthily grieve or be alerted to dangerous situations. However, the goal is to reduce inappropriate negativity – negativity that is neither helpful nor healthy so that you experience 3 positive emotions to every 1 negative emotion. Curious about your positivity ratio? Check out the Positivity Self Test!

Listen to Diane and Coach Meg here:
http://www.wellcoach.com/flash/cm071609_1.html