The Transformative Power of Positivity is Bigger Than You Know

Think about someone in your life who exudes positivity and optimism. What sort of person are they? I picture someone who truly lights up a room! Their smile, their demeanor, and their approach to life are like the heat of the sun on a cold winter day. What amazes me about bright and happy people is that it rarely matters what the world around them looks like; they radiate pure joy from the inside out. And it’s truly contagious!

I’m sure you’re familiar with Maya Angelou’s famous quote, “People will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” To me, this is the essence of positivity and its true power. Positivity is not just a feeling that lights you up inside, it’s a light that shines and illuminates everyone around you. And it’s an intentional act that leaves the world brighter than it was before.

Now, if you’re asking, “Alyssa, what does this mean for me?” I can confidently say there are scientific and business cases behind the power of positivity, and more so, there are plenty of reasons to embrace it for your health and wellbeing. Beyond the niceties, I believe positivity should be the driving force behind everything we do. In fact, I’d like to invite you to come on this journey with me and witness the transformative power of positivity for yourself.

Positivity is not just a feeling that lights you up inside, it’s a light that shines out and illuminates everyone around you.

The case for thinking happy thoughts

Unless you’re one of those rare gems who naturally radiates happiness, “staying positive” can often feel impossible, and for good reason. As the Neuro Clinic points out, humanity’s biological “drive to survive” gives us a natural negativity bias, or as one researcher puts it, “Our brains are like Velcro for negative experiences.” We tend to cling to the failures and fail to see the successes. Unfortunately, when we continually focus on the negative, we limit our ability to think broadly, be creative, and experience joy, which only leads to more negativity.

On the other hand, positivity creates its own cycle. Our brains are muscles like any other, and the more we “exercise” by choosing to think happy thoughts, the more our brains adapt to optimism. Even a fake smile is proven to cheer us up! They say, “Fake it ‘til you make it,” and in this case, it’s absolutely true. Thinking positively may not sound like a genuine strategy for success, but science repeatedly proves we are genuinely happier when we think happy thoughts.

Research also points to the power of positivity to impact business outcomes. Leaders who embrace optimism achieve more because they have less self-doubt. Their teams work more cohesively, and their businesses receive better reviews from both employees and customers. “Happy businesses” are also more resilient to obstacles, including economic downturns. In other words, positivity is positively necessary to achieve our business goals.

And if you need even more reason to believe, positivity is known to create resiliency in all areas of life. Happy thoughts lead to lower levels of distress and pain, greater resistance to illness, better psychological and physical well-being, improved cardiovascular health, and numerous other health benefits.

Of course, happiness is easier said than done. It’s hard to stay positive when things look bleak, especially when our inner critic (or outer naysayers) tell us our goals are impossible. If being successful were as easy as thinking happy thoughts, we’d live in a very different world. But the impetus to stay positive is real, and if we can harness it, it can be a force for change.

Leading with positivity creates positive leaders

I first learned the power of positivity from my grandfather, who liked to say, “Girls don’t matter.” Well, being the happy, scrappy little girl I was, I decided to prove him wrong. It turns out by choosing optimism in the face of my critic, it not only made me mentally stronger, but also created a virtuous cycle of giving and receiving that continues to resonate in my life. I didn’t know it then, but I was training my brain to see the world in a new light and to ultimately become a light for others.

As a perfect example, early in my career, I had to call on every bit of positivity I could muster to build a profitable practice with a new partner. My company already had a thriving practice with major players in the industry, but executive leadership questioned why we would take on a new line of business with an unproven partner. Much like that little girl proving my grandfather wrong, I was confident my strategy would work, and I believed I could make it happen. At first, no one else believed in my vision. Nevertheless, I kept on believing and shining! Eventually, my optimism caught on, and in the end, I got the sponsorships and signoffs we needed to make the new line of business a huge success. And my leaders were perfectly happy to experience that success.

I continue to carry that momentum to my role at Intel. Every day, I get to see how positive actions and optimistic behaviors help those around me tackle new challenges. It’s natural to be hesitant when sharing strong opinions or bold ideas in collaborative environments, because big ideas can be scary. But when I’ve embraced the power of positivity to engage my team from a place of connection and safety, I’ve noticed everyone on the team is more responsive and vocal. It’s clear when people feel safe to speak and be heard, they also lead with positivity, and positive results follow.

This approach isn’t about making a radical change. In fact, many times it’s as simple as a smile here or a positive comment there. But it has a snowball effect! When my little ray of light meets their little lights, and their lights meet each other, we all become a giant electric generator for positivity and change! And now we’re tackling challenges together I never thought possible.

That’s why I’m so laser-focused on generating positivity for my team, our partners, and our customers. I want my little light to help your light shine as bright as possible.

How to be a little light when things look dark

Of course, not all my optimism comes naturally. I rely on others just as much as they rely on me, and I have intentional strategies to maintain enthusiasm. There are several tools and exercises I’ve used throughout the years to maintain positivity, and I’d love to share them with you and encourage you to try them out.

1. Write a “headline” about your intentions and goals.

Every year I write “next year’s headline” about my life, as if someone is writing a news article about my achievements. I use this as the guiding vision for my decisions. When I have a positive headline in front of me, I’m more likely to keep working toward it, even during times when my emotions don’t match my vision.

2. Create a dream board with positive images.

There’s nothing like having visual cues in front of you to keep you focused. In fact, visualizing goals is proven to help maintain focus and pace. When I write my headline, I like to create a “dream board” with pictures of my goals to remind me every day that I’m choosing joy on the inside, no matter how my circumstances appear.

3. Notice your successes and what brings you joy.

As Marie Kondo would say, “Does this bring you joy?” Think about the aspects of your life – your routines, relationships, systems, and strategies – and consider what brings you happiness and what you’ve already done well. Then, write them down! Jot down three things that have gone well for you in the last year and put them up in your office as reminders of your success.

4. Surround yourself with positive people.

Our relationships have a significant impact on our lives. When we surround ourselves with unhappy people, it’s easier to be pulled down to their level. But the opposite is also true. When we surround ourselves with people who look up, we will also be uplifted. When my inner critic gets too loud, I know I always have someone to pull me out of it.

5. Practice, practice, practice!

Positivity is not something that comes naturally to most of us, which means we need to practice it continuously. It won’t be easy. It won’t always feel natural. But little choices over time add up to big changes, especially because repeated thoughts physically reshape our brains. The more we practice joy, the more joyous we will be.

6. Learn to lead with positivity

Finally, if you’re a people leader, I encourage you to use your optimism to build momentum for your team. Leverage your 1:1s to help team members understand the value they bring. Give that pep talk! Share that positive feedback! Accentuate their successes! Invite people to think happy thoughts about themselves and watch how they turn it around to produce successful outcomes.

And more so, continue believing in yourself. You are your own best advocate, so shine your light bright! I’m telling you now, you will be amazed by what you can accomplish when you think happy thoughts about yourself.

What’s next?

Embracing positivity is a big ask, especially when we’re going through hardship. But I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Intel co-founder Robert Noyce: “Optimism is an essential ingredient of innovation. How else can the individual welcome change over security, and adventure over staying in safe places?”

Life will always bring you to unexpected and sometimes difficult places. Your brain will naturally be programmed to find the worst in every scenario. But when you choose positivity – when you decide to look on the bright side of life, despite your circumstances – you embrace the opportunity to make the world a little brighter. And I, for one, can’t wait to surround myself with bright and happy world-changers like you!

Let me know in the comments how positive thinking has changed your life, or how you hope it will! And let’s continue to be little lights to one another on this journey together.

Until next time,

Alyssa Fitzpatrick