Take Back Control of your Life with Positive Emotions
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Let’s face it, 2020 has not been the year most of us expected or hoped for. For many, it’s been one of the most difficult years of their lives. With uncertainty, loneliness, heartache, fear, anger, and stress at an all-time high, you’ve likely experienced your fair share of bad days, difficult times, and negative emotions.
If you’re feeling anxious, lonely, sad, or down, you are not alone. There are many things outside of your control – the pandemic, natural disasters, heated politics and unemployment, to name a few. But there is one thing you can control each and every day - what's going on inside you.
In the words of Viktor Frankl,
“Everything can be taken from us but one thing: the last of human freedoms –
to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way”.
(If you have not read Man’s Search for Meaning, I highly recommend you grab a copy and read it now)
The bottom line? Feeling better isn't just something you have to wait around for. Positive emotions aren’t only created by positive events and good things in our lives. With the right strategies and an understanding of why positivity is so critical, each day can be better.
Now I’m not suggesting you ignore what’s going on in the world and look for only sunshine and rainbows. I am suggesting that instead of holding tight and waiting for 2020 to end (will things really be different on January 1st anyway?), we choose to make the most of each and every day we are given.
How? By actively and intentionally bringing positive emotions into each day.
Now more than ever, we could all use a little more James Brown’s “I Feel Good” energy in our lives.
If you're looking for more ways to feel good, even when thing are bad, check out my latest article on Lifehack.org where I share simple ways to quickly evoke the ‘big 10’ positive emotions: love, joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, and awe.
Try one, try them all, but do something. Because every day, we have a choice - and a responsibility - to feel good, do good and be the best version of ourselves.
Great changes in history never occurred through negativity and resignation, but through hope and optimism that things could be different. And it’s times like these it becomes even more critical that we find that positivity, tap into our collective strength, resilience, and optimism and power through.
A trend is evident across organizations: budgets are tightening, and talent development is often one of the first areas to take a hit. As investment in AI climbs, budgets for training, leadership development, and teambuilding are decreasing.
It’s logical on paper. AI is the future. It promises speed, efficiency, scalability, and cost savings. Organizations are transforming to meet future demands, and AI investments are vital for long-term success.
However, there’s a risk quietly building beneath the surface: we’re optimizing organizations through AI while underinvesting in the humans doing the work. That’s a dangerous tradeoff.
What happens when we inadvertently deprioritize the growth, development, and human connection of the people managing these AI processes – and everything else that keeps organizations running smoothly? The unintended consequences may not show up on a dashboard, in OKRs or KPIs today or tomorrow. But they will. Disengagement, eroded trust, and talent loss often don’t announce themselves until it’s too late.
As budgets shift and AI investment accelerates, the real question isn’t: How much can AI replace? Instead, it’s How can we best-equip humans to succeed and thrive in an AI-powered workplace?
The answer is not to slow AI development, but to match it with an equal and continued commitment to the human-forward development of people.