With the daily onslaught of tough news in the midst of the pandemic, is it possible to stay positive in these down times?

Last month our regional library cooperative SEFLIN offered an answer with the help of Positivity expert Shola Richards. I had the good fortune of meeting Shola in person at the Florida Library Director’s meeting in Tallahassee. His energy and enthusiasm for making our workplaces better is refreshing and inspiring. In his webinar, Shola laid out the keys to staying positive in the face of adverse conditions. Below is my understanding of two important keys to achieve peace in this crazy world.

Focus on What You Can Control

Shola suggested we let go of the things outside of our control and recognize all the things we can control. Whether it is helping others, being kind, cleaning, talking a walk, or starting a new hobby, we can always shift ourselves with the right intention. Specifically, he identified three things we have power over:

• Our Actions – What can I do to make a difference?
• Our Effort – Am I doing my best?
• Our Attitude – Is what I am doing filling me up or draining me?

Practice Self Compassion

Shola encouraged participants to recognize that life is hard right now. So it is okay to lower your expectations and celebrate small wins. We simply cannot do all the things we use to do. Slowing down provides us time to be kind to ourselves and others. We can enjoy small indulgences, like that extra piece of chocolate or another episode of your favorite show, knowing that it is helping us get through another day. Self-compassion not only helps you, but also everyone you are living with as it creates a less stressful environment.

To learn more about Shola and the Positivity Solution, I encourage you to visit his web site and sign up for his weekly newsletter. While there, you can also view his TEDx Talk.

When was the last time you had a good idea?

Think about that question for a moment. Does something strike you as odd? Most obvious is the problem of how can we judge if the idea was “good.” What seems awesome in the moment can turn out to be faulty later. Conversely, what was dismissed as so-so now could have great merit when applied.

Most striking for me, the question implies that each person is solely responsible for creating their own ideas. But the funny thing is that ideas are not commonly born straight out of divine inspiration. Even if it seems that the idea come from nowhere, it likely has mundane origins. The truth is that ideas require other ideas to give them form and to evolve.

After all, fires don’t start just by thinking about them. They originate from the combustion of different elements, be it two sticks rubbed together or a match and lighter fluid. It is the same with originality. New ideas do not appear on its own, but show up when different ideas are combined together to produce something new.

This means the fastest way to create “good” ideas is to expose yourself to as many ideas as possible. Whether they come from books, articles, conversations, or observations, having an abundance of ideas to work with greatly increases the chance of finding one that is transformational. Like puzzle pieces, pick up as many as possible and place them together in different combinations. Play long enough and you soon end up with a beautiful picture.

So when was the last time you had a good idea?

Don’t worry about answering that question. Instead ask, “Where will I find the next great idea?”

Then expose yourself to as many ideas from as many different fields as possible to see what sticks. Don’t wait, this post has ended, so start looking now!