PPB February 2020

The reason I know this quote is true is because I KNOW, without a doubt, how to have six-pack abs. I know how to be more fit. We all do. I need to eat better-quality food, work out more and drink less beer. I know how to do it. I just don’t (consistently) do it. So, when you catch yourself saying, “I know,” just take a moment. Ask yourself this series of questions: 1 Yes, I know this concept … but am I doing it? 2 Could I do it more? 3 Am I doing it consistently? 4 Can I up my game? When you stop and ask these questions, my guess is it will get you back on track. Now let’s dig into the power of giving out joy. Give Out Joy Some days it feels like the world is drowning in negativity. Studies will tell you that 89 percent of what you see every day is negative. Whether it is through the media, social media or even in the 3D world, everyone seems to be frustrated or complaining. And don’t just blame the media. That’s lazy. The fact is, most days CNN is not what is filling up my Facebook feed with bitching. It’s us. It’s you. Don’t get me wrong, the media helps fuel this fire, but they are not the only ones throwing logs on it. We all have a share of the blame. The great thing about social media is that everyone has a voice. The bad thing is everyone has a voice. As you turn on your device, it seems half the people posting are snarky trolls and the other half create a new reason to play the victim every day. Negativity is all around us. Once we understand that, the question is obvious. What do we do about it? The answer is simple (but not always easy): Give out joy. In a world where nearly 90 percent of what we see is negative, most people are hungering for something different. We are looking for someone to shine a light on good things. We are looking for inspiration. And the reality is, when you push out good and joy into the world, we stand out in a crowded marketing place. When we are creating a business, an organization or a personal brand, we are always trying to prove to the marketplace we are better. But as Mike Michalowicz (author of Profit First, Pumpkin Plan and many other great business books) says, “In the minds of our customers, better is not better. Different is better.” The fact is, when seemingly everything we see in the world is negative, a positive person (or brand) can be a shining light. It stands out. So, by giving out joy, creating joy and spreading joy, you start to stand out in the marketplace. Now you might be thinking, “Great. But I am already a positive person!” My guess is, you are not as positive as you think. (Sorry to be negative). The fact is, as humans, we are not great at self-auditing. That’s why surveys will tell you that most people think they are an above average driver. The math tells you that’s not true. So how do we know if we are positive or negative? Let’s start with a simple exercise. This is something I have done in sessions I give all over the U.S. I start with a simple question: Howmany of you know someone who is constantly negative on social media? They are always complaining. As I say, “They are miffed if they can’t find something to be mad about.” This always elicits some chuckles as everyone in the room raises their hands. Everyone knows this guy or gal. Then I follow up with another simple question: Howmany of you are that person? Silence. No hands. People start to look around the room and small uncomfortable laughs start as they realize the joke. Then the punchline comes as I say, “I have given this talk all over the country and I have never met the one jerk who is filling up all of our Facebook feeds!” No one thinks it’s them. As I said, we are not great at self-auditing. We don’t think we are being negative. We think we are just venting. We might even think we are being funny. But we, generally, don’t think we could possibly be perceived as a negative person. Let’s go to the tape! Go to your Facebook feed (or your social media outlet of choice) and look at your last 10 posts. Be introspective. Think about how they might be looked at from the outside world. Now, if four or more of those posts could be perceived as negative (and that’s not up to you, right?), you are likely thought of as a negative person by many of the people who follow you. Oh … and here’s the caveat. Political posts and religious posts can be viewed as negative. We all have that crazy uncle who posts on their favorite social media platform about nine times a day outlining why the current U.S. president is a criminal. Sure, those people are easy to spot. But what about you? What do your posts look like? The pushback I sometimes get when I am speaking has to do with religious posts. What do I mean by that? I am not suggesting you should not celebrate your faith. I The great thing about social media is that everyone has a voice. The bad thing is everyone has a voice. | FEBRUARY 2020 | 71 THINK