What does “Positivity” mean to you?

Positivity means a series of things to me:

Daily gratitude practice

Oprah Winfrey said it best: ’Be thankful for what you have, and you will always have more. Concentrate on what you don’t have, and you will never have enough.’ Expressing gratitude is the single most important thing I do to bring more joy in my life. 

Compassion for myself and others

When I am compassionate with myself, I can be with others as well. It is incredible how we bully ourselves sometimes. I try to befriend my inner critic and be less judgmental in general.

Dreaming big and being an optimist

Nikos Kazantzakis said, 'You have the brushes, you have the colors, paint paradise and then in you go.’ I am a big believer in visualizing my goals and being an optimist for the future. The latest dream that came true for me was to live on a tropical island. I am writing these lines from Koh Samui, Thailand where I have been living with my family for the last six months. This appeared impossible even two years ago. It would not have become reality without the audacity to believe in the impossible.

Accepting my negative emotions

Positivity for me means emotional health. Emotional health comes when we experience all emotions fully. The only way to move on from negative emotions is to engage with them first. Suppressing anger, sadness or fear is not positivity. Quite the opposite. It can lead to depression and increased risk of illness. After we experience our negative emotions we can let them go and make space for more positive ones.

Surrounding myself with positive people

It is said that we become the average of the five people we spend the most time with. I try to surround myself with individuals who inspire me.

Avoiding media’s negativity bias

I do not read or watch the news. I prefer to read blogs and books.

 

Please specify 3 things that you do to regain your positivity and your strengths after a disappointment at work/life.

The three things that help me regain my positivity after a disappointment are:

Sleep and Exercise. I tend to feel better after taking care of my body.

Talk things through. Either with my husband, a good friend, my mom or my coaching supervisor.

Enjoy nature’s beauty. A walk in the park or a beautiful sunset always lift me up.

 

How important is it to stay positive in achieving your goals?

Positivity played a huge part in achieving my goals. I will give an example. It was 2008, and I had decided to do an MBA at INSEAD. It looked like a sound investment. Most graduates landed a handful of job offers upon graduation. So, I quit my job. I used up all my savings. I borrowed a significant amount from my parents.

Once I started studying, the global financial crisis started. I graduated with no job offer at all. I moved back with my parents in Greece. I spent weeks sending job applications. Nobody was calling me back. I started feeling low.

I took a weekend off to reset myself, switch off my negative attitude and visualize my dream-job. I decided that the company I most wanted to work for was Google.  I also wanted to move to the UK.

I went on YouTube and watched videos of Google’s UK offices. I wanted to make my vision of working there more real. The day after, I got a call from Google. I had applied to the company weeks ago along with a hundred other companies. I moved to the UK without an interview confirmed. I stayed at a friend’s house. I remember how much fun I had with my friend. I was determined that I will not let the stress of job-hunting get to me.

I pushed myself to feel confident about getting the Google job. I stopped applying for other jobs. I wanted to focus on preparing for the job I wanted. There was no plan B.

The interview got confirmed. An hour before it started, I went to a cafe opposite the Google office to have a coffee. I looked at the employees through the glass. I told myself that I was just there to get to know my new colleagues. And with that attitude, I walked in.

‘I am confident I can do the job.’ I told the Google director. ‘I can see you are,’ he said. ‘Most interviewees look at me like I am a bear.’  And with that, I was in.

I do not think my CV was better than the CV of other Google applicants. Quite the contrary. What set me apart was my positivity. Or, as the Director said, the fact that I was not looking at him like he was a bear.

I still bring this story to my mind to remind myself the power of positivity.  Because it is not our success that will bring us happiness. It is our happiness that will bring us success.

 

What “Positive Promise” would you like to give?

I promise to play 1 hour a day with my kid/s for 10 days.