We Are All Contagious

Did you know you are contagious?

I’m not talking about the latest sickness making its way around the office. I’m talking about your energy and your attitude.

Contagious means there is something spreading from one person to another by direct or indirect contact. This is how viruses spread but also how our personal attitudes and energy spread.

We are all contagious.

In fact, there is research from the HeartMath Institute showing that when you have a feeling, it can actually be felt by other people up to (10) feet around you. This means that every day, whether you realize it or not, you are contagious and your energy is broadcast to all those around you.

I’m reading a book called The Power of Positive Teams by Jon Gordon and stumbled across an analogy that I thought was relevant for all of us. I almost missed this because it wasn’t a well developed analogy or prominent in the book, but it stood out to me and challenged the way I think about my own energy.

The analogy compared our attitudes to either a “germ” or “vitamin C”.

Think about it. A germ is microorganism that can cause a disease. It’s not good and something we go to great lengths to avoid. We wash or sanitize our hands. We ask people who are sick to stay at home. We keep disinfectant wipes at our desks. We avoid germs.

The same can be true of people who consistently have a bad attitude or broadcast negativity. We try to avoid being around them because their energy can directly impact our own moods or outlook. We often go to great lengths to avoid negative people because of the impact it has on our own well-being. 

Vitamin C is the opposite. Our bodies require Vitamin C for us to have healthy bones, blood vessels and skin. It plays a vital role in our energy production and has a positive impact on our well-being. Vitamin C helps boost our immune systems and helps bring us to life.

Positivity is also contagious. We have the unique ability to boost the energy of those around us through our positivity. Positivity causes us to standout in a strong way. Positivity is not putting our heads in the sand and pretending everything is great when it’s really not. Positivity is choosing to believe there is hope and we can create a different narrative. It’s believing our setbacks or challenges can be overcome together. The most important story is the story we tell ourselves. Is your self-story positive or negative?

So, here are some good questions to ask yourself: What are you spreading today? What impact are you having on those around you? Is it positive (vitamin C) or negative (germ)? Are you bringing life to those around you or are you, like an energy vampire, sucking all the energy out of the room?

We are all contagious but we also have the choice each day and each moment to choose positivity and be Vitamin C for those around us.