According to the definition in the English dictionary, positivness is the fact of being full of hope and confidence, or of giving cause for hope and confidence. Its synonym is positivity.
This week, Dr. Tony Alessandra reveals the HOW behind imbuing positiveness. He explains that genuinely positive people naturally attract others and position themselves for achieving the goals and aspirations they’ve set.
What is Positiveness?
Positiveness means maintaining a state of positive expectations about people and situations, including a positive state of energy in your thoughts and emotional patterns. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive Thinking, was published over 40 years ago and continues to sell well because it contains such a universal truth: the attitudes we hold help to shape the reality we experience.
Positiveness Comes From Within
Having a positive attitude isn’t something you just tack on to your old personality. Positiveness isn’t external like a new suit. It comes from deep within you. It has to, or it would get wiped out with the first sign of a countervailing negative force. Positiveness is built on having your own positive life philosophy, knowing your strengths, and surrounding yourself with other sources of positiveness.
Discovering Your Life Philosophy
Many of us haven’t taken the time to consider what our own life philosophy is. If you haven’t, it doesn’t mean you don’t have one—you’re just operating from it unconsciously. A life philosophy can be as simple as: “I know I’m here to live up to my potential, make a contribution to society, and have a good time.”
Others might have different philosophies, such as: “I’m here to serve God through being of service to my fellow human beings” or “I’m here to show others that despite physical handicaps, you can lead a productive life and enjoy what you have.” Some philosophies may involve grand visions, like saving the planet or improving human communication. A truly positive philosophy, one that’s motivating, encompasses more than just yourself.
If you haven’t formulated a clear philosophy, your unconscious one might lean toward survival or materialism: “I’m here to make it through the day until I die” or “I’m here to grab as much as I can because you only live once.” Having a well-articulated philosophy gives you purpose and helps you navigate rough times.
Knowing Your Strengths
The second aspect of positiveness involves knowing what strengths you have to build on to achieve your life philosophy. This requires taking a personal inventory of your talents, skills, and passions. Ideally, we’d all spend our time doing what we love. Those who come closest to this ideal are the ones who take the time to identify what they love doing, assess their skills, and work toward aligning their ideal life’s work with their reality.
Surrounding Yourself With Positive Energy
Having a positive life philosophy and knowing your strengths are not enough on their own. The third aspect of positiveness is surrounding yourself with sources of positive energy. Inspirational stories often involve individuals who achieve extraordinary feats despite great odds. These people usually have a positive philosophy, an understanding of their strengths, and a network of supportive individuals or spiritual resources.
Surround yourself with people who exhibit positive traits and avoid those who drain your energy. Positive individuals encourage growth, whereas overly rigid, negative individuals may hinder progress.
The Reminder to Stay Positive
Ever since Dr. Peale introduced the concept of positive thinking, motivational books and speakers have emphasized the importance of a positive attitude. While it’s crucial to be reminded to escape negativity, the notion of simply “having a positive attitude” can sometimes feel superficial—like buying a new outfit or getting a haircut. The real question is: how do you truly cultivate positiveness?
Top Benefits of Being Positive
Boosts Productivity
A positive mindset keeps you energized and motivated, making even tough tasks feel manageable. When you approach work with optimism, you’re more likely to find creative solutions, stay focused, and keep moving forward. Positivity helps you push through challenges and turn setbacks into opportunities to learn and grow. This mindset not only improves your productivity but also inspires those around you to do their best.
Reduces Stress
Positivity can help you handle stress better by shifting your attention from problems to solutions. Instead of getting stuck on what’s wrong, it helps you see situations more clearly and stay calm. Letting go of negativity gives you the mental space to manage stress in a healthier way, improving emotional balance and overall well-being.
Builds Stronger Relationships
A positive attitude helps you connect with others by creating better understanding, empathy, and communication. When you stay upbeat, people feel more comfortable around you, and stronger bonds naturally form. Whether with friends, family, or coworkers, positivity creates meaningful connections that benefit everyone involved.
Better Coping Skills
Life throws challenges at all of us, but a positive outlook helps you face them head-on. Being positive doesn’t mean ignoring problems—it means tackling them with determination and hope. This mindset builds resilience, helping you adapt, learn, and come out stronger on the other side.
Positive Leadership
Great leaders know the power of positivity. A positive leader motivates their team, recognizes strengths, and creates a supportive environment where people can do their best work. When leaders focus on solutions instead of problems, they inspire creativity, teamwork, and a shared drive to succeed.
Smarter Decision-Making
A positive mindset helps you approach decisions with clarity and confidence. Instead of second-guessing yourself or getting stuck in doubt, you’re able to weigh your options and make thoughtful choices that align with your goals. This leads to better outcomes both personally and professionally.
Improves Mental Health
At its core, positivity is about building a healthier outlook on life. Focusing on gratitude, hope, and possibility can help ease feelings of anxiety or sadness. Over time, practicing positivity supports a healthier self-image and emotional balance, helping you enjoy life more fully.
Easy Ways to Increase Positivity in Your Life
Challenge Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts can sneak in and mess with your perspective, but they don’t have to take over. Challenge those thoughts and swap self-doubt with more constructive ones. Ask yourself: is this assumption even true? Flip it into something more realistic and positive. This simple shift can help you break out of unhelpful patterns and build a mindset that’s open to growth.
Surround Yourself with Positive People
The people around you can have a big impact on how you feel and think. Spend time with supportive, encouraging individuals who lift you up. Whether it’s friends, family, or mentors, their energy can push you to stay motivated and work toward your goals—even when things get tough. Positive relationships help you stay grounded and inspired.
Watch Your Words
The way you talk to yourself matters. Swap out negative phrases like “I can’t” with something more encouraging, like “I’ll give it a shot.” Changing your language can help shift your mindset over time. It’s not about being overly optimistic—it’s about focusing on what you can do instead of what you can’t.
Build Confidence in Yourself
Confidence grows when you focus on your strengths and celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Be kind to yourself and recognize what makes you unique. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about valuing yourself and believing you can handle challenges as they come. Confidence helps you set goals, take action, and move forward with purpose.
Try Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a great way to stay present and aware of your thoughts without getting stuck in them. It helps you manage stress, focus on what’s happening right now, and find more moments of calm. Whether it’s through meditation, deep breathing, or just slowing down for a few minutes, mindfulness can help bring more balance to your day.
Keep Learning
Learning something new keeps life interesting and keeps your mind sharp. Whether it’s a new skill, hobby, or topic you enjoy, it gives you a sense of progress and opens up new opportunities. It’s not just about gaining knowledge—it’s about staying curious and confident in your ability to adapt and grow.
How Humor Positively Impacts on Performance?
There absolutely is a connection between humor and improved brain function. A great deal of study has been devoted to the negative things that can happen to the brain and why they happen. We know a lot about the effects of depression, fear, and anger. For some reason, the positive influences haven’t generated as much interest. But these influences are very interesting. Laughter, in fact, is not only interesting but is positively mysterious.
How does the brain know that something is funny? Studies suggest that on this is a three-part process. A cognitive element helps you get the joke. A neuromuscular aspect helps move the muscles of the face to smile and laugh. And a third emotional element produces the enjoyable experience of laughter.
Why is laughter enjoyable? It stimulates the production of a neurochemical called dopamine, which is also associated with many other pleasurable activities.
All of this seems to have some very practical benefits. Tests have found evidence that humor in films and videos can diminish stress and promote relaxation. How this happens is not entirely clear. Something is definitely happening on the biological level — the production of dopamine. But could laughter also simply distract the brain from whatever else was on its mind, so to speak? It doesn’t really matter. We’ve seen that stress weakens brain function, so whatever lowers stress will have the opposite effect.
At this point, I’m tempted to tell some funny stories, but I’ll resist that temptation and say goodbye until my next blog post.
FAQs
How can positive thinking affect you?
Positive thinking can have a big impact on your mental health and overall well-being. It can help lower stress, build resilience, and make tough times easier to handle. It’s even good for your physical health, with optimism linked to fewer chronic illnesses and better heart health. A positive mindset can also shift how you see the world, leading to stronger relationships and greater satisfaction in life.
How do I train my mind to think positive?
Training your mind to think positively takes practice and effort, but it’s absolutely doable. Start by noticing the good stuff in your life—big or small—and make gratitude part of your daily routine. Swap out negative self-talk for affirmations or more helpful thoughts. Spend time with positive people or consume content that lifts you up. Try mindfulness practices like meditation to spot unhelpful thought patterns and see things from a new angle. Set goals that feel achievable to build confidence and keep moving forward. With time and consistency, these habits can help you keep a more positive perspective.
Is positivity the key to success?
Positivity isn’t the only ingredient for success, but it’s an important one. A positive mindset helps you stay motivated, bounce back from challenges, and see setbacks as chances to grow. It can also strengthen relationships and improve communication, both of which are key for teamwork and building connections. That said, success takes more than just positivity—it’s about hard work, learning new skills, staying focused, and planning smartly. Positivity helps you stick with it by giving you the mental and emotional energy to keep pushing forward.
Author of 31 books translated into over 50 languages, including best-sellers "The NEW Art of Managing People" and "The Platinum Rule," Dr. Alessandra helps organizations build stronger relationships with prospects, customers, and co-workers.
When not developing new assessment tools, Tony explores cutting-edge business communication trends. Connect with Dr. Alessandra on LinkedIn to learn how his innovative approaches can boost your team's performance.
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