Smile a Little Smile

by Andreea Noland Townsend in Lifestyle Choices, February 9, 2009

Short piece on having a positive attitude.

I wish I could have been alive during the 1970’s minus the drugs. It seems as though smiley faces where all the rage…or so it appears. It’s hard to find smiley faces now a days. Is it because people’s attitudes stink or that drugs were the only reason for smiling? Is it so hard for people to be positive and smile much less treat others with respect? Maybe I’m naïve or too green for my own good to think that people can smile and have positive attitudes. My favorite saying other than “Smile J Be Happy” is “Be joyful always.” Life is too short to be bombarded with negativity. And to let that negativity transpire at work…well… I think it’s unfair to subject coworkers to a cloud of nastiness. Either get a new outlook or leave it at home.

We are all guilty of having negative attitudes. It happens. It’s part of life. Bad things happen. Someone gets fired. There’s a death. It’s raining outside. We have a crappy economy. It’s okay to be sad. It’s healthy. Being a grouch every now and then is tolerated.

What’s not okay is dwelling on this sadness and making everyone else understand your misery. Dr. Alan Zimmerman says that “Negative employees destroy morale and turn off customers by talking negatively.” These employees also turn off their coworkers as well. No one wants to work with someone who always gripes or has something awful to say.

Positive employees are good for business. They work hard for the good of the company and for the good of the customer. These employees bust their bums because they take pride in their quality of work. Moreover, positive employees make an effort to like their work. Sure, our jobs can be mundane or less than pleasant. But that is not an excuse to be a grump. Starting the work day with “I’m going to do an amazing job and have great day” will leave you feeling less stressed. If you start everyday like that, you’ll find that you actually like your job. Their optimism allows for more creative problem solving because their minds aren’t filled with negative goop but with fresh cells full of oxygen ready to tackle a problem.