Never Better

By Craig Evans, Sr. Director Global Brand Management

When someone asks me “How’s it going?” when I pass them in the hall or even on the street, my standard response is “Never better!” This response often stops people in their tracks. Some look confused; some want to find out more; and some literally congratulate me on what seems like a unique answer to such a routine question.

Is it always true that I’ve never been better? Probably not, as, for example, sometimes my back hurts, or perhaps I’ve just been given some feedback on my work product that maybe was a tad humbling. Nevertheless, the core concept of “never better” is at the center of who I strive to be and it powers my positivity. Dictionary.com defines positivity as “the state or character of being positive by accepting the world as it is.” The key insight to me here is that this implies that positivity isn’t just something you are, but rather something that you do. That’s likely why “positivity” is one of my Top 5 strengths, according to the Clifton StrengthFinder assessment. (“Includer” is my #1 strength, but we’ll save that for another time.)

Being a positive person isn’t a trait I was born with, but instead it’s something I’ve been practicing for a long time. Anything you practice regularly (i.e. playing guitar, eating with chopsticks, knitting antimacassars) generally leads to a stronger, more consistent performance. The result of this continued practice of positivity is the training of my brain to think and respond to situations calmly and optimistically. Just like anyone else, I have my ups and downs too, but the rewards of my positivity training have been life-changing and have likely altered many of my relationships for the better, while improving my overall mental health and work product.

If you’re interested in introducing more positivity into your life, it’s incredibly easy to do. (And I’m not just being positive.) I do it by following these five simple behaviors:

1. Look for the positive side of every situation: Every time a negative thought tries to crawl into your mind, replace it with a positive thought. This will get you on the road to becoming a solutions-oriented person, rather than a person who is simply focused on finding the problem. Willie Nelson probably said it best when he said “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start seeing positive results.”

2. Recognize that you have many things to be grateful for: In the grand scheme of things, is that small annoyance the end of the world? Sure, you might wish things turned out differently in a particular situation, but at the end of the day remember to concentrate on all the things for which you have to be thankful. Someone out there no doubt has it a lot worse than you do.

3. Be kind to yourself: It’s life’s ups and downs that make us who we are. If you don’t have compassion for yourself, you’ll never find the awareness that allows you to nurture your true self or others.

4. Practice gratitude: Everyone can benefit from making an effort to practice gratitude every day. This is more than expressing courtesy, manners or being polite. Go beyond those common courtesies and show your appreciation to someone who did something nice. Express your gratitude by doing something nice and tell people in your life what they mean to you. This creates a cycle of good and that, in turn, generates a positive mindset not only in you, but also in those with whom you interact.

5. Surround yourself with other positive people: The more you act with positivity, the more you’ll get back. I like to call that the “circle of positivity”. Positivity is contagious, just like negativity is, so fight back with positivity and reap the rewards with new relationships as no one likes to be around negative people.

Finally, there is one more big plus to being positive. It’s your health. A 2019 study by the Boston University School of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that those who embrace positivity throughout their lives generally enjoy an 11%-15% longer lifespan than those who embrace negativity. Furthermore, this positive mindset group enjoyed greater odds of achieving “exceptional longevity,” that is, living to the age of 85 or beyond. Remarkably, these proven relationships to a healthier, longer life were independent of socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, social integration, and health behaviors (e.g., smoking, diet, and alcohol use).

Now go forth and embrace your inner positivity. I’m positive you’ll be glad you did.

 

Craig Evans

Craig is the Sr. Director of Global Brand Management for Universal Parks & Resorts.