11 Benefits of Being Positive
January 18th, 2009 Posted in NewsletterOver the years I’ve done a lot of research on the positive effects of being positive and the negative affects of being negative. The research is clear. It really does pay to be positive and the benefits include enhanced health and longevity, happiness, career advancement, athletic performance, team building and financial success. Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the way to live. In this spirit here are 11 benefits of being positive.
1. Positive People Live Longer - In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer. (The Nun Study)
2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments. (Daniel Goleman)
3. Positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic sales people. (Martin Seligman)
4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)
5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. (John Gottman)
6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. (Several Studies)
7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions where as negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson)
8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time. (Several Studies)
9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level. (Heartmath.org)
10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity. (Robert D. Putnam)
11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace. (Tim Sanders)
Do you have a success story of how you benefited from being positive? Share it here.
Download a PDF Poster of these 11 Benefits of Being Positive. Download, print and share.
Stay Positive,
-Jon | www.JonGordon.com
Access a free recording of Jon’s “Stay Positive During Changing Times” teleseminar. Click Here.
18 Responses to “11 Benefits of Being Positive”
By Joni Reynolds on Jan 19, 2009
My son was a very bright middle school student who lacked focus. His grades were very inconsistent and he was in danger of failing one of his core classes. My husband and I tried to encourage him to do better and we knew punishment was not the answer. So I took a photo of my son and typed these words and affixed it to the photo “I am a talented boy full of God-given gifts and I will do well in school.” I had him repeat this affirmation everyday. When I would drop him off I would ask him “who are you?”, and he would repeat the affirmation. It did make a difference this positive affirmation I believe became a part of my son, and his grades did improve. Positive attitude does work!
By Arlan Berglas on Jan 19, 2009
How to be positively happy all the time!
1) Be grateful for what you have
2) Help others get what they want
Simple stuff! Join the Pass It Forward Movement http://www.aunitedworld.org
By Natatia on Jan 19, 2009
Greetings, Jon!
There is power in positive thinking. As I mention positive thinking, I think of Norman Vincent Peale and his inspirational teachings on the topic of positive thinking; then, there is Jon Gordon and his positive inspiration. Phenomenal!!!
Although, some people find positive people “too nice” or as having no back bones, it is quite the opposite. Positive people know the true spirit of living in today’s world and how to treat people; they know the true meaning of the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Positive energy rules!!!
As a high school teacher, I promote positive energy in my classroom. I have a great relationship with my students and colleagues as a result.
Create a Positive Day!
~~Natatia
By Phil Gerbyshak on Jan 19, 2009
Great article Jon! Being positive has never felt so good.
FYI: The link to this poster points to a file on your (or someone’s) C drive. Can you fix it and/or email me a copy please? Thanks and love your work!
By Lenore Buth on Jan 19, 2009
Right on, Jon! Over the years I’ve learned that everything comes down to choice. I first grasped it when I long ago read Victor Frankl’s account of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. In that terrible place he realized that he alone controlled how he viewed the circumstances of his life, and no one could take that from him. It’s how he survived.
That powerful lesson never left me. In every situation each of us gets to choose whether we’ll focus on the good … or the bad. (Works with people, too.)
By Jan on Jan 20, 2009
I have taught myself to be much more positive than I was 15 years ago and because of that I am reaching goals I set for myself 25 years ago.
I have multiple sclerosis and at this time am in a wheelchair. I continue to work full time as the manager of Mail Services for a very large school district. I also have a husband, a teenage son and have finally accomplished the goal of receiving my Bachelor’s degree in business.
Some days it would be much simpler to stay in bed but won’t because my mantra is “I have MS but it doesn’t have me”.
I am so glad I found your website. It lifts my spirit and reminds me I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. Thanks
By Pam W. on Jan 20, 2009
Last January I found out my husband was cheating, he said there was only 2 and it was over. From then through the beginning of August, I found out things and it turns out there were at least 13 and he thought he was in love with the “current” one. He moved in with his sister towards the end of July, and through it all I remained positive. Positive that God did not want our marriage to end, positive that our family was meant to stay intact and positive that he would realize how separated he was from God and what a colossal mistake he was making. Everytime he said he wanted a divorce I told him I wasn’t going along with and the I knew we were supposed to stay together, grow old together and I knew that we could find our way back to each other. It was very hard not to kick him out, very hard not to give in to the negativity. But somehow-God gave me strength to remain positive, and we are back together and working on improving our marriage and spending the rest of our lives together.
By Kelly on Jan 20, 2009
I have had so much negativity surround me in my life from childhood. And now I am 43 years old. Somehow or someone while growing up has taught me to try to stay positive and live life as positively as possible because negativity really does not get you anywhere. So I have and DO live as positively as possible on a DAILY BASIS, and I can honestly say that it has worked! I truely believe that IF I lived in a state of negativity, I WOULD BE where my brothers and sister are right now: using drugs or recovering from them, in jail, in abusive relationships, not married to a wonderful man, be in big dept (more than i am), angry all the time, sad, severly depressed, living with other family members because I have no friends and no money, and I know my life just wouldn’t have the abundance it does. And what I mean about ‘abundance’ is NOT materialistic things, because I do not have much that is worth any kind of money. I DO HAVE a lot of loving people in my life and a great job. I enjoy life so much more than my brothers and sister and more than so many other people that do live negatively! I have been told that people like to be around me because I am always so positive. I could go on and on!
By dave on Jan 20, 2009
very inspiring gems .
thanks
By Franck on Oct 28, 2009
Totally agree ! I think that being positive is the only way to really live the live that we want.
By Christina Carroll on May 10, 2010
I am a 38 yr old mother and the mother of 3 young adults. I was raised in a negative household. So, I grew up with a low self esteem. I had kids at a young age. I always told myself that I was going to distill positive thoughts in my children. No matter what they where going to feel selfworth. Everyday I would tell them how important they are. They can do anything they put there minds to. I would like to say it worked. All 3 of my kids have positive attitudes, they do there best at everything they do. When they fail, they use it as a learning process and try again. I think life is trial and error. As long as you keep moving forward everything is possible. Its a great way to live your life. Positive thinking leads to a positive attitude. A positive attitude opens more doors to life. A negative closes those doors.