Woe is not You! Inspiration to Turn Fear to Courage

Fight the Fear of Negativity in our Economy

Jody Urquhart, Professional Speaker

Are you tired of hearing about the sagging economy and all of the negativity that it brings? I have always been a person who tends to downplay the negative and focus on the positive; however these days even I find this challenging. A sour disposition effects overall wellness.

Seduced by Fear…
With all this talk of an economic crisis many people are under pressure and can be skeptical and negative. We are like sponges and we get sucked up into the vortex of negativity as we absorb the negative emotion around us from the news and our economic crisis.
A recent study shows that 7 in 10 people are anxious about their future… (December 2008, Negative Freedom Conflict Leadership Expert Dr Orloff)

Guard your Sanity
While we should be concerned, I think we are giving this economic downturn far too much attention. We are being sucked in and need positive motivation. The television and newspapers are dominated by news of the bad economy, and people are buying it. The underlying feeling is desperation, lack of abundance, conflict and negativity.

I think it is the fear and negativity that got us into this dilemma in the first place. Fear breeds fear and next thing you know the stock market tumbles, foreclosures rise and our outlook gets worse.

Given this dilemma we have a great opportunity to learn to transform fear and negativity. We are surrounded by so many difficult things but we can’t let it get us down. Look at every challenge as an opportunity to emotionally free you. Remember we still live in an incredible country, just look around, we have thriving communities, infrastructure and programs that support our lifestyles. We live everyday with incredible freedom and abundance.

Some Tips to Survive Negativity

Negativity is a loud signal and it is everywhere. Given the intensity of people today we have to learn to not be seduced by the fear and live in the now.

Stay aware and focus on results

Refuse to participate in negative conversation about the economy, or participate and tick everyone off by offering only a positive perspective….. more tips on dealing with negative people below…

Lighten Up! Take yourself lightly through this recession and have some fun already… more tips below…

Focus on your own circumstances. If Doom and Gloom is not at your doorstep right now than don’t constantly ruminate and worry about it, stay focused on your blessings.

Be prepared for reality. Just because you choose to stay focused on the positive does not mean you ignore reality. Get things in order, ask what would happen if… and be prepared for the worst and (this is the hard part) don’t worry about it.

Spread positive energy it is needed now more than ever. Rise above the negative emotion and be bigger than it.

Remember for every negative position there is also a positive one. Always search for the positive to balance your position.
Some examples:
A contracting economy is a rebalancing where we learn to be more economical which can be good for our environment and future generations.
What goes up must go down and vise versa. This too will pass and we will soon find ourselves in prosperous times again.

How to Deal with Negative People
We are susceptible to negativity now. Don’t let sour people steal your joy.
It always amazes me that most people who come across as negative are not aware of their behavior. There are three reasons why most negative people are unaware that others perceive them as sour:
1. Negative people believe there is nothing wrong with their behavior. They have always behaved this way, and they never think about their attitude.
2. Negative people see others as negative and think that if others are negative it is OK for them to be negative as well. Or, in some organizations, negativity becomes the norm, and people learn to behave like others.
3. Most negative people do not get feedback on their negativity. Team members may feel that it is up to their leader to give feedback to the sour employee. Customers may not say anything but just stay away the next time. Employees are probably afraid to confront their negative bosses.
General Coping Strategies for Working with Negative Sour People
• Recognize that an attitude problem exists.
The first step is to recognize that someone is expressing negativity in the workplace. Do not ignore it if it is affecting that person’s performance, your performance, the performance of others, or relationships with your clients or customers.
• Acknowledge any underlying causes for the negative attitude.
As we know, negativity has many causes. The factors could include personal problems, work-related stress, a difficult boss, job insecurity, loss of loyalty, lack of growth or advancement opportunities, and so forth. It helps to get the person to see the causes for his or her negativity. It is also important to recognize that what is causing the negativity is often justified and that the negativist has the right to feel that way.
• Help the person take responsibility.
It is ultimately the responsibility of the negative person to change his or her negative attitude and behaviors at work. Even though the person may have every right to feel the way he or she does, it is still not appropriate for the workplace. As a team member or boss, you need to help your colleague recognize this and to have him or her take ownership.
• Replace negative, inappropriate reactions with different, more acceptable ones.
Even though we just said that it is the job of the negativist to change his or her actions, you may need to help. The person may not know what to do differently to come across as more positive. It will often be up to you to specify exactly what that is.
• Instill positive attitudes in others.
Be the role model for your negativists through your actions and behaviors. You can prevent their negativity by instilling in them the positivist bug. If you do that, they may never catch the negativity virus again.

Rules of Dumb…Myths that Take the Joy out of Your Work
STRESSED? …TRY H U M O R!!!

Health costs are among the biggest costs for organizations. Humor relieves stress and burnout. The cost of stress to the economy is estimated at 200 Billion annually. Humor is by far the best, easiest, fastest stress management technique around.

Add Humor
Have you had your LAUGH Today?
The Benefits of Laughing

By: Jody Urquhart
Deep laughter lowers our levels of stress hormones, raises our pain threshold, increases our ability to fight upper respiratory diseases, relaxes muscles and reduces anxiety. Cracking up even has cardiovascular benefits. Studies done at Stanford University found that a two-minute belly laugh is equal to 10 minutes on a rowing machine in terms of boosting your heart rate.
Anybody can use laughter as therapy. There are no limitations in how often it's done, and there's no cost involved. It doesn't even have to be a real laugh. The body doesn't know the difference. If you pretend to start laughing, then you start really laughing. The following is only a partial list of the benefits of Laughing:
Laughter takes the focus off your problems
A sense of humor helps us gain a fuller and more realistic perspective of the world
Laughing invokes feelings of happiness and joy. Instead of being gloomy and frustrated
It’s easier to think creatively around a problem when our mind is lighter from laughter
Shared laughter promotes bondage and unity within the group.
Laughter also opens the door to more real and risky communication.
Humor can dramatically change the quality and outlook of our lives. Humor is an easy way to get in touch with your feelings, and control them in difficult situations.
Laughter is not the same as humor. Laughter is simply the physiological response to humor.
Laughing makes us feel good for a reason. The physiological effects on our body do some pretty amazing stunts. For instance:
• Laughter appears to reduce levels of certain Stress Hormones
• Laughter boosts the Immune System and Lowers Blood Pressure
• Laughter may lead to hiccupping and coughing, which will clear the respiratory tract by dislodging mucus plugs.
• Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory and facial, leg and back muscles a workout.
• There also has been some belief that laughter may help prevent some life-threatening diseases
Share some humor today. Give yourself permission to REALLY
LAUGH!

Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who for the last ten years has motivated and inspired professionals to use humor to change there lives. Please contact us to see how we can recognize and inspire professionals at your next event.
www.Idoinspire.com