Your Attitude and Language

Given the scope of what the southern coast of the U.S. is enduring now, I felt strongly about writing the following and wanted to share it with you. Understand right up front...this is not a political statement, so please don't bother emailing me or posting comments bashing the current administration or politicizing this in any way. I hope you have enough respect me enough to honor that request. This note is about countering "human nature", eschewing the path of least resistance, and focusing on what's actually possible.

I believe it is incumbent upon us to maintain as positive an attitude as we can about this disaster in the Gulf Coast and here's why... it's oh so tempting (and easy) to jump on the bandwagon, and to adopt a gloom and doom attitude about these kind of things as they relate to the future. I have heard people saying, "we'll be crippled by this" and "this will kill our economy" and "recession is looming".

Well, I'm not that smart, but I do know one thing is for sure... If people keep SAYING it, it WILL become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So why don't we try to NOT join in the doomsday predictions? Let's NOT revel in the drama and play the blame game. How about we choose instead to take the high road and do what we can to help out, while continuing to keep the economy rolling as best we can instead of griping about it and spreading more negativity. We didn't let 9/11 ruin us and we can't let this thing either -- but if we don't have positive attitudes and high expectations for the future, we will cause our own ruin. And that benefits nobody.

Self-fulfilling prophecy is absolutely a truism. When someone (and it's often started in the negative media) yells "POSSIBLE GAS SHORTAGE", people panic and start hoarding gas and well, imagine that... surprise! You created a gas shortage.

Go ahead and yell "WATER SHORTAGE", you'll have people panic and start hoarding water and there you have it... you've created a water shortage.

Alan Greenspan yells "THE HOUSING BOOM IS OVER" and people begin believing that it's true, so they stop buying/building and there you have it... you've created your own reality just by speaking it.

It's important to understand that the thoughts we hold in our minds and the words we use are incredibly powerful influencers of the state of our own lives and the lives of those around us. The more we all say keep saying something, the more power we give it, then the greater number of people believe it, and THEY continue to say it and it spreads like a cancer. And then out of fear, people act on what they've heard and said AS IF IT'S TRUE, which causes it to come to fruition.

After 9/11, a lot of people said they weren't going to let the threat of terrorism stop them from living their lives. Many didn't, and they continued to travel, buy things, invest, etc. and yeah things were a little tough for little while, but we got through it and our economy weathered it.

It is my firm belief that our language and thoughts create our world. And right now we should all be thinking AND saying to others in our regular dealings every day, "The situation is hard right now but we're resilient, we'll adjust and we'll be fine". I believe by continuing to spread this positive, hopeful, confident attitude for the future, that it feeds itself. It creates and spreads public confidence and we can create a positive reality, just by speaking it among our own circles of friends and associates. I urge you to believe, think and speak confidently and positively about the future. If you agree, you are welcome to help spread the positive energy by sending a link to this to those you care about.

My very best to you,
Monica