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Happy Life Tip of the Week, Issue #142- Cross the Line December 14, 2011 |
Hello Friends,Use kind words and kind deeds to increase positivity and cross the line to a happy life.Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine Kind words and kind deeds This ratio holds true for both the experience of positive emotions (contentment or joy) and positive feedback (comments or gestures) showing that a person is accepted and appreciated. This key ratio is sometimes called the Losada line after Marcial Losada the researcher who discovered it. Positive thoughts and emotions tend to draw us towards the people, situations, and things while negative emotions cause us to move away. The more we are drawn to positive people and situations, the easier it is to be positive. Once we pass the Losada Line, the reinforcing action of positive emotion leading to positive action seems to accelerate. This opens up our creativity and our sense of connectedness making us more effective in any group endeavor and helping us to thrive and flourish. In lasting, healthy marriages and high performing teams, the ratio is even higher. It takes 5 positive comments or actions to each negative one to thrive. These relationships require a higher level of trust, connectedness and creativity to survive the inevitable challenges of life and work. It is interesting to note that there does appear to be an upper limit on useful positivity. When positive comments exceed negative ones by more than 11 to 1, it seems we lose some of our edge to innovate and create. For most of us, this upper limit is a long way from our normal experience. While it does confirm the observation that unbridled positivity no matter what the situation is a bad thing, it also shows that most of our relationships and thought patterns could benefit from far more positive thinking than we currently experience. As you go through your day, pay attention to your positive thoughts, words, and deeds. Look for ways to add just a little more kindness to your relationships and interactions. Each compliment, smile, or kind gesture not only helps boost your positivity ratio, but builds up the other person as well. Scientists estimate that about 80% of the US population is not thriving emotionally. The world is full of problems we struggle collectively and individually to solve. As each of us moves over our own personal Losada line, we start to accelerate the benefits of happiness in our own lives. The happier we are as individuals, the more likely we are to spread kindness and compassion which raises others as well. Who knows what a wonderful world this could be as we collectively move into the Losada zone. So this week, spread a little kindness. Help the holiday spirit along. Spread your sunflower seeds of cheer. You will increase your chances of success in every endeavor and help make the world a better place! Use kind words and kind deeds to increase positivity and cross the line to a happy life.Affirmation I pay attention to my speech and actions to ensure that I am always communicating at least 3 times more positively than negatively. Journal or Meditation Question How often do I speak positively compared to negatively? How could I add a little more positivity to my communication? What benefit might I gain as I cross over the Losada Line? To Subscribe
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