Shawna Schuh, Presenter, Author and Consultant

Profitable People Skills

Are You A Perpetually Positive Person

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Are You a Perpetually Positive Person?

By Shawna Schuh, CSP

I was standing in what seemed like an endless line at my local retail store when I looked around and noticed that we all seemed to be resigned to our waiting fate. The cashiers were doing their best, but there wasn't a smile to be found. No turned lips on the cashiers or the customers that were waiting. It was one long line of resignation... until I started humming!

This attracted a few weird looks. I wasn't humming very loud, just spreading a joyful noise and smiling like I knew something no one else did.. The people next to me smiled and nodded, and so did the person ahead of me in line. As a matter of fact, it seemed like everyone standing near me began to lighten up and become a bit cheerier.

Now this could have been my imagination (it's pretty active), or it could have been that in less than a minute I changed my attitude, which changed the whole situation. And, the end result was magic! The line seemed to move faster and I was now making others smile.

My point to all of this is "Why do we let a situation determine our attitude?" Why is it that we will put up with humorless lines, rude people, long periods of waiting and endless seriousness, when we could be putting a little more grace, happiness and joy into even the tiniest of daily tasks?

Maybe you do this already, and BRAVO! if you do. Is being a perpetually positive person part of your personality? If you are one of those perpetually positive people...please stand in my line, drive on my part of the highway, and please be the person on the other end of my phone line. I need you, and the whole world needs you!

If you haven't been inclined to be a PPP (Perpetually Positive Person), maybe you can start now. Why? Because being positive does a whole lot of good for the world. But even more importantly, it does a whole lot of good for you. Being positive helps improve your health, makes your face wrinkle less, and lowers your body fat. Okay, the body fat part was wishful thinking. But it's a proven fact that happier people live longer.

How can you become a Perpetually Positive Person (PPP)? I thought you'd never ask!

1. Wear that smile! Plaster it on your face the minute you wake up and don't take it off until you go to bed. Even when you're alone you should wear a smile. A wonderful expert in skin care and cosmetics suggested that a person earns their face. Meaning that as you age, your resting demeanor and how you think and behave on a continuous basis contributes to your facial lines. If you keep a smile or slight grin going you will age more gracefully, have a lot more friends, and fewer wrinkles to boot! I'm very serious about this. The power of a smile is underrated because we all think we smile more than we do. So now is the time to turn up the corners of those lips!

2. Think happy thoughts! The challenge with this one is that we are bombarded daily with negative messages. Okay, so don't read or listen to the news. (Not really!) Just think of the positive points of each and every situation. This is easier the more you practice it. One technique I have used successfully is to pray a happy prayer whenever I hear something bad. A war in the Middle East? Please, God, let those people work it out. Some teenager set a cat on fire? I pray that the teen gets the help he or she needs, and I pray the cat hasn't used up all nine of its lives. I know I can only change the world if I can keep myself from getting jaded and negative. I'm not in control of other people, and neither are you, but we are both in control of one very important thing, our own thoughts. Keep them happy and positive and we can change any situation.

3. Say "Please" & "Thank you." This is something that seems to have gone the way of white gloves. People and customers expect so much, but if we asked a little nicer and were a bit more grateful the world would be a much better place to do business. Wouldn't you agree? Graciousness begins with you and me. I've found that from time to time we begin to lose these little niceties with our families. We no longer ask our spouse to get something, we demand it (in the nicest way I'm sure), or we tell our children to do something and expect them to comply without our demonstrating politeness. We often forget that whatever they do deserves recognition and thanks. Some people don't say please and thank you because they forget, some don't say it because they think it weakens them, and others don't say it from pure laziness. Whatever the reason, I know that none of us, even those that are pretty good at remembering to say please and thank you say it enough. We can never be too polite when asking for things or too grateful when receiving them. Add these little words to the beginning and ending of most of your sentences and you'll be surprised at how wonderful people begin to treat you!

You now have an opportunity to make a difference. I've given you three tips that, when practiced regularly, can be the start of an incredible change for you. I wish you a future filled with perpetually positive people!

Conquer Apathy and Erase Rudeness as you follow proven, fun and beneficial information by Shawna Schuh, CSP. Specializing in communication, professionalism, service & business finesse. Shawna helps you bring your best self to the work you do for maximum results. To book Shawna to speak or for article reprinting contact Sandy McCready at 503-280-1946 or visit www.ShawnaSchuh.com.

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