So, I will open this post with a question…do you tend to find yourself being negative, running down others, or jumping into conversations where others might be griping and chiming in with your own complaints? If so, I apologize, but I am going to be challenging you to take another route. If you are not, maybe you want to manage complainers in a manner similar to this..

Ok, no I’m not advocating you do this to those who complain.  The video actually comes from Jon Gordon, the author of ‘The No Complaining Rule’. If you haven’t read it, you need to read it.  Jon has such awesome insight on positive energy, including his first big hit, ‘The Energy Bus’ (again, you should read it). Baruti Kafele, a powerful educational speaker and author, tweets daily that he is ‘ON FIRE’.  He spreads a inspiring message and radiates positive energy. I tag everything I do with the #RoadToAwesome because I believe, like Jon and Baruti, that I have a calling. Mine is to lead our students and staff to heights they never thought they could reach. None of us can achieve what we set out to do without maintaining a positive mind set and keeping positive energy flowing around us.

We are one day from election day, and I have found myself more and more befuddled by the extreme negativity we find in our society today.  Not only has it found its way into political advertisements but increasingly it has become prominent with people who choose to vent frustrations on Facebook. Why are so many people so negative? One of our local business owners, and the parent of a student in my building, recently told me of a page on Facebook set up simply to gripe and say terrible things about local businesses in Rock Springs.  She was on the page, made a post filled with positive feedback on many local establishments…they kicked her out of the page. WOW… Remember, it takes only one negative post on social media and rapidly there is a firestorm that someone has to put out.  Her solution, she and another local  business man started a positive feedback page for our local merchants. This is a great way to positively use a powerful tool. I truly love social media, just check out my twitter feed (@DarrinPeppard) or our school’s Facebook page (Rock Springs High School (authentic)), it is such a powerful tool.  Consider, however, when using social media how easily a post spreads unintended consequences of negative statements.

You could ask, how might this connect to our work in education? Negative energy spreads in a school or classroom, just as it does across social media.  One cannot have a positive impact on a student, build quality relationships with students, parents, or other staff when negative thoughts or energy consume their daily lives.  So, if you have those negative tendencies…stop it.  Students are watching and they pay attention!

I suppose you might read this post and consider it a rant about negativity, or that I am being negative about being negative (ah, but two negatives make a positive right). The effort required to be positive rather than negative, to focus on what is right in a situation over what is wrong, to find opportunities instead of barriers, is very minimal.  l challenge all those who read this to take some time to share the positive things in your life, even small things.  Say hello, thank you, buy the person behind you in line at Starbucks a coffee. It’s amazing how staying positive can quickly become a habit and how it radiates to those around you.

So, simply put, be positive.

Enjoy your journey on the #RoadToAwesome,
Darrin

 

(follow Jon Gordon on Twitter @JonGordon11 – follow Baruti Kafele at @PrincipalKafele)