Picture this: You’re at a business conference when you strike up a polite conversation with the man standing next to you at the coffee station. After basic introductions, you ask him how he’s enjoying the event.

Within seconds, the man is bitterly ranting about how the keynote speaker was unimpressive, the food is sub-par and he regrets wasting his money on the steep registration fee. Quickly, your desire to network and build a relationship with him transforms into a desire to find a way out of the conversation.

You just met Mr. Negativity. And there’s plenty of Ms. Negativity’s around too.

When business entrepreneurs have a negative attitude, it tends to pervade every aspect of their life. Negative thinkers view the world through a lens of pessimism and cynicism. Their modus operandi is to critique and complain about everyone and everything. Rather than focusing on people’s positive attributes and identifying opportunities for growth, they constantly criticize and assign blame to others.

You might think negative thinking is a natural, harmless tendency, but it has real and damaging consequences. Here are just a few:

Negative thinking is a time suck. Negative thinkers tend to waste a lot of time ruminating about negative events and missed opportunities. They get “stuck” replaying these events in their minds rather than investing time into exploring new opportunities and building new relationships.

Negative thinking kills motivation and enthusiasm. Because negative thinkers are hyper-focused on what went wrong and who mistreated them, they have little energy to invest into goal-setting or creative problem solving.

Negative thinking is bad for business. Negative, pessimistic people sap us of our energy. No one wants to build a business relationship – or any relationship – with someone who will drag them down. If prospective clients sense that a business entrepreneur has a bad attitude, they’ll take their business elsewhere.

Negative thinkers usually aren’t bad people; they just have a bad habit. The habit of negative thinking is often so deeply ingrained that they fail to notice how it infiltrates their daily life.

The good news is that with a little self-awareness, it’s possible to break this habit and achieve a positive mindset (and the prosperity that comes with it!).

The Power of Positivity

In sales, you make your living with your attitude. Business knowledge is important, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. Your success is 95% attitude. Maintaining a positive attitude can dramatically change your effectiveness in sales and countless other areas of business development. Positivity is magnetic. People want to buy from and do business with positive-minded people. They’re usually more likable and easier to get along with.

Our attitude is within our control. We have the power not to dwell on our failures, challenges, disappointments and heartache; instead, we can focus on creating an inner dialogue of self-motivation and self-encouragement. You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how your respond.

One important step you can take to help you reach your business goals is to master your attitude and monitor its impact on your work performance and relationships. We all engage in a certain amount of negative thinking, but some people are naturally more cynical and pessimistic than others. Developing a positive mindset is something we can all attain by developing positive habits.

• Take time to frame events and situations in the most positive way.
• Meditation and reflection. Pause for a few moments each day to clear your head of clutter and let go of unnecessary drama. This will enable you to direct your energy and attention on how to navigate difficult situations and relationships most effectively.
• Create a library of positive thoughts. When you find yourself getting sucked into a negative headspace, focus on an image that makes you happy. With practice, directing your attention to the blessings in your life will remind you the relative insignificance of whatever is upsetting you.
• Distance yourself from negative people. This is one of the most critical strategies for maintaining a positive attitude. Whiners and complainers drain you of your energy and encourage “glass half empty” thinking. Don’t invite people like this into your business or any area of your life. In addition to poisoning your own thinking, associating with negative people will send others the message that you have a bad attitude too — and that’s not a reputation that you want to adopt.

In my 40+ years of sales and business development experience, I’ve always strived to maintain a positive attitude and distance myself from negativity. One of the lessons I teach my clients at Celeste Giordano Coaching is to always protect your attitude – it’s one of your most valuable assets! One of the reasons I have been blessed to build a successful Legacy Business is because I do everything in my power not to associate or communicate with negative people.

When my clients find themselves criticizing and blaming others, I encourage them to stop and take a good, honest look in the mirror. Rather than cast blame, I urge them to look inward and ask:

• What can I learn from this situation?
• How can I better myself?
• Is there anything I can do to improve the situation or create new opportunities?

When you flex your positive thinking muscles, you undergo a powerful mind shift. A positive attitude empowers you to show up excited and energized to overcome the challenges and embrace the opportunities that come your way.

Could negativity be holding you back from achieving maximum productivity and prosperity in your business?

If the answer is “Yes”, shoot me an email at celeste@celestegiordano.com. With the right strategies, an effective system and a commitment to shift your thinking, you can “Double Plus” your income THIS year.

Stay tuned for next week’s article on the power of attitude to unlock your leadership potential.

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Up Next: You’re Invited

We invite our local community to visit us on July 27, 2017 from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the 1818 Club for the WGC Atlanta Chapter meeting. Pre-registration for the event is $25.00. Click here to pre-register. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact celeste@thewomenofglobalchange.com.

We are also opening up several other chapters across the United States. I am honored to help launch the Toronto, Ontario Chapter in the summer, 2017. To become a presenting sponsor or sponsor at this premier Toronto event, contact Celeste Giordano here. For additional information about WGC, please visit our website!

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Join Celeste at the 4th Annual Entrepreneurship and Small Business Summit on July 12th & 13th. She will be a Panel Expert and Break Out Speaker. Click here for more information.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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