Feed the Positive Dog

March 15th, 2010 Posted in Newsletter

Are you dealing with stress at work? Is fear knocking you off balance? Are financial worries causing you to lose sleep?

The answer is to feed the positive dog.

Jon and his dogIf you read The Energy Bus you know I share a simple story about a man who travels to the village to speak to the wise man. He says to the wise man, “I feel like there are two dogs inside me. One dog is positive, loving, kind and optimistic and then I have this fearful, pessimistic, angry and negative dog and they fight all the time. I don’t know who is going to win.” The wise man thinks for a moment and responds, “I know who is going to win. The one you feed the most. So feed the positive dog.”

The fact is we all have a positive and negative dog inside of us. It’s part of our human nature. The key is to feed the positive dog and starve the negative dog. The more we feed the positive dog the bigger it gets and the stronger it becomes. The actions are simple. We just need to make them a habit and do them every day. Here are a few ways to feed the positive dog.

  • Practice Gratitude - You can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time. Gratitude is like muscle the more you do it the stronger it gets. Take 10 minutes each day and make a list of what you are thankful for. You will fill your body and brain with costless and priceless anti-depressants.

  • Take a Walk of Gratitude - I do this each morning and it feeds me all day long.

  • Turn off the News - Starve the negative dog.

  • Smile More - It enhances your serotonin levels and uplifts you.

  • Focus on Get to vs Have to - Read the article here.

  • Read Uplifting Books - I happen to know of a few good ones :)

  • Get together with a positive, uplifting person.

  • Call or visit someone who has made a difference in your life and thank them. (research shows this is a huge happiness booster)

  • Write a Few Thank You Notes Today - When you thank others you feed them and yourself.

  • Watch a funny movie that makes you belly laugh.

  • Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

  • Focus on God instead of Gold - For more read, Matthew 6:33

  • Start a Success Journal - Write down the one great thing about your day. The more you look for success, the more you will find it.

  • Decide to Make a Difference - When you help other people with their problems you forget about your own.

I Challenge You:

I challenge you to pick 1, 2 or 3 strategies identified above and make them a daily habit. Do them for 10 minutes a day, every day for 30 days. Don’t wait. Start them today. Don’t just read this newsletter, say “that’s nice” and put it away. Identify what you will do, when you will do it and commit to it. Your positive energy and natural anti-depressants are more powerful than the negativity you face.

Accept this challenge and declare the actions you will take on our blog here.

Stay Positive!

Jon

  1. 35 Responses to “Feed the Positive Dog”

  2. By Daniel on Mar 15, 2010

    Changing “Have to” to “Get to” has been a game changer for me. It’s a simple change in perspective that has a massive impact. Often big changes result from something small! :)

  3. By Laura Wallace on Mar 15, 2010

    Thank you so much for your Newsletters! Your articles are very positive and I appreciate the Spirituality that is incorporated into them.

  4. By Winnie on Mar 15, 2010

    We are very fortunate at Prudential Florida Realty to have a team of positive leaders. We draw from the strengths of each other for the benefit of the whole. We are survivors who refuse to let obstacles be anything other than a source of opportunity for growth!

  5. By Debbie Stanyon on Mar 15, 2010

    I will send a gratitude note to someone who has helped me in the past.
    I will turn off the news and look for glad news.
    I will start a success Journal.

  6. By Bru on Mar 15, 2010

    Jon-

    Your recommendation of spreading good will is powerful. I have made it a point to practice expressing daily gratitude; both w/ my team before meetings and at home around the dining room table before meals.

    I would like to add a positive dog to your list…. Eliminate the word “NO” from your vocabulary in the workplace and replace it with “HOW”. This helps with problem solving and meeting facilitation.

    As an aside…starving the negative news dog has made my sports news dog fat & happy as March Madness approaches!

  7. By Leslie Raney on Mar 15, 2010

    I am going to smile more and watch a belly laugh movie. My husband bought me a set of Rumpole of the Bailey DVDs. English humor is so funny. He’s an experienced defending attorney down at the Old Bailey.

  8. By Sandi Simmons on Mar 15, 2010

    Jon, I look forward to your positive tips every week! We have a group of classified, educational support staff who have been participating in your book studies. We are getting ready to begin The Shark and the Goldfish. We love all the strategies but my favorite and new mantra is “my positivity must be greater than anyone’s negativity”. I tweaked the gratitude walk and it’s become a gratitude commute to and from work.

    Thanks so much for your positive insight! We’ve seen such an awesome change in our employees!

  9. By Craig Kozan on Mar 15, 2010

    Thank you so much for your information. Your articles are very positive and I appreciate the Spirituality that is incorporated into them. I know that our plans are not God’s plans, so we need to keep moving, and stay positive !!

  10. By James Leath on Mar 15, 2010

    I love it, Jon! I turned the news off a long time ago and haven’t looked back. Also, I love the idea of a gratitude walk. I will do that today!

    James Leath

  11. By Kim on Mar 15, 2010

    I have started my Gratitude List along with a Success note at the bottom. I also enjoyed the link to Matthew 6:33. I’m thinking a funny movie has a future in my day too. Thank you for getting me started, now it is up to me…

  12. By Duane Smtih on Mar 15, 2010

    Jon,

    Thank you for this article-it really hit the sweet spot! These are the things I will be working on:

    Focus on Get to vs Have to - this is a toughie for me but I can do it

    Practice Gratitude - I forget at least as often as everyone else

    Write a Few Thank You Notes - I get to do this for my business - I’ll start it with my personal life as well.

  13. By Tina Marie Campbell on Mar 15, 2010

    Talk about timing!! Your article was very on target! This is a time of renewal and I accept the challenges!

    Things I will be working on writing a few Thank You Note today to both friends, family and clients.

    Taking the steps to focus on my gratitude journal starting today.

  14. By Bobbi Blades on Mar 15, 2010

    What a great message to begin the week with. I am going to focus on the “I get to”, enjoy my Gratitude/Attitude walk and give everyone I see or run into a huge smile.

  15. By Ray McKay Hardee on Mar 15, 2010

    1. I was inspired by it and forwarded it to my team!

    2. I will practice smiling daily. In fact, I will smile at everyone I meet
    1. I will put the suggestions into practice.

    2. I have forwarded it to my team and asked them to read it!

    3. I will secure Jon’s books and digest them.

    4. I will ask God to help me be an energy carrier.

    5. I will laugh out loud for at least ten seconds upon arrising every morning.

    6. I will say out loud “This is the day The Lord has made and I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!

    7. I will give thanks to people regularly and to Gof for 5 things daily.

  16. By caryn on Mar 15, 2010

    I am working to make my life more positive and look for ways to bring my organization more positive. We need to feed our positive dogs! I write thank you letters and I am going to try to write more every day.

  17. By Jerry on Mar 15, 2010

    I will say something encouraging to someone every day and find someone in the office to help hold me accountable.

  18. By Janice Strong on Mar 15, 2010

    It seems that today it is often recommended to
    “feel the pain” in hard situations in order to get over the pain of challenges such as loss in whatever form it may come. Is it a balance between this and being truly thankful for what you are thankful for or is it solely gratitude and other positive actions that starve the grief and pain and promote healing?

  19. By Gayle Logan on Mar 15, 2010

    Wow, I plan on trying this for the next 30 days and do 4 or 5 things daily. Inspiration and positive energy has been a big part of my life, I don’t understand why people in general don’t get it! it’s so much easier to be happy and grateful than to be moody and unhappy. Thanks for all you good vibes Jon, I enjoy your energy.

    Gayle Logan, Realtor/Watson Realty/St. Augustine Florida

  20. By Missy on Mar 15, 2010

    I plan on smiling more, and focusing on the GET TO and not the HAVE TO…that is a great message.

    I also wanted to ask and maybe someone can point me in the right direction: It is okay to REMOVE the negative people from your life? I don’t need to continue to justify my actions, just let them know why and move on right? I just feel bad about it.

  21. By leah on Mar 16, 2010

    Take a walk of gratitue, start a success journal and smile more

  22. By Terry on Mar 16, 2010

    Things I am doing:
    * exercising every day
    * developing plans for trip to Flinders Ranges
    * watching my diet i.e. eating “good stuff”
    * being grateful for what I have

  23. By Terry on Mar 16, 2010

    G’day Missy, sometimes you need to take positive action by removing the negative things in your life - and that includes people. Unfortunately, there are some people who are energy sappers and, if you don’t want to go down with them, you need to move to a more positive place.

  24. By Valerie Thibodeau on Mar 16, 2010

    Jon, we met at last Year’s Hair Cuttery celebration in Cancun. I’m commiting to starting a success journal and making a difference in other’s lives.

    I share your articles on Facebook with our Stylists and salons, they LOVE it! some have even started posting it on their own pages -

    Your message is always clear and easy to understand, thank you!

  25. By rebecca on Mar 16, 2010

    I start my day with at least 10 minutes of writing in my Gratitude Journal. I write about all the things I’m currently thankful for, and then those that I am grateful for that I know are in my future. I write as if they already exist. One by one, they come to me consistently! Positive energy goes a long way.

  26. By Polly Bryan on Mar 16, 2010

    I should have read this earlier this morning. I will take that gratitude walk each morning now.

  27. By Claire on Mar 16, 2010

    I’d love to do a Gratitude Walk but I’m not sure what it is! Can anyone help me better understand it? Thanks!

  28. By rebecca on Mar 17, 2010

    Sometimes I walk in the evenings, or in the mornings……..or just walking from my car to the office, I say a silent “thank you” with every step. If I’m on a long walk, for 30 minutes or more, I start off by saying thank you for a few minutes, and then start thanking god? or whoever you want to thank, for all of the great things in your life. Whether you have them yet or not, I give thanks. They eventually come to me, sooner than later. The more positive energy you create, surround yourself with and then share with others, makes all aspects of work, life and play just that much better. I just can’t believe it took me so long to discover this!

  29. By Genevieve DeMara on Mar 17, 2010

    I was first introduced to The Energy Bus in 2008 when life was pretty easy, but have since experienced stressful changes & challenges. All of which are good changes, but stressful nonetheless. I realize now more than ever how much I needed the introduction of this book into my life to help me through right now. I understand how making simplified, daily choices like a gratitude walk can make or break my attitude & enjoyment of my new life. I also realize now how HARD it is to maintain, and truly takes practice & concentration to REMAIN positive & productive. It is a choice everyday.

  30. By Cynthia on Mar 17, 2010

    Hi

    I would like to participate in this challenge. I am going to practice gratitude,focus on God and start a success journal.

    Kind Regards
    Cynthia

  31. By Cynthia on Mar 17, 2010

    Hi

    I would like to participate in this challenge. I am going to practice gratitude, focus on God and start a success journal.

    Kind Regards
    Cynthia

  32. By Lisa Griffin on Mar 19, 2010

    I will participate in this challenge by practicing gratitude, reading uplifting books (and sharing them!), calling/visiting with someone who makes a difference in my life and starting a success journal. Can’t wait to start this journey!

  33. By Kristine on Mar 19, 2010

    I’m starting this challenge to practise being more positive in every day life. These are the 6 things I will make sure to do every day.

    1.Smile more.

    2.Say and think get to vs. have to

    3.Read uplifting positive books.

    4.Hang out with positive people.

    5.Focus on God not gold.

    6.Write a success and grattitude journal.

    Thanks for the positive ideas Jon!

    -Kristine age eight-

  34. By Roopa on Mar 21, 2010

    Hi Jon,

    What do you actually do in the gratitude walk..What I do is I thank God for the good health, friends, family, studies comfort, lifestyle then I have nothing to thank for.. moreover I feel funny when I thank God for all these. somewhere inside I feel as though God says “yes I know why you are thanking me now. You dint thank me so long!”!
    Then I feel I am not myself and stop at it. Moreover I have been trying to think positive from Nov last year.( believe me you will not find any one more negative than me, I hate myself for this) I had given myself time till April this year… April is fast approaching and I have not even achieved ‘P’ of positive thinking. Why is it so? I read Dr peale’s books so much.( have read all his books except Faith is the answer) but I am not able to change myself. Can you help me please?

  35. By Jon Gordon on Mar 24, 2010

    Roopa,
    I want to encourage you to stop putting pressure on yourself. Don’t get angry at yourself for being negative. Instead surrender. Let go of your negativity. Give it to God. Stop trying to fill yourself up. Instead let God fill you up.

  36. By Enas on Apr 6, 2010

    Thanks for your Newsletters! They r so positive and I want to thank so much who sent it to me, i ll try to do:
    Smile More
    Focus on God instead of Gold
    Get together with a positive, uplifting person
    Hang out with positive people.
    Take a Walk

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