MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

Positivity is not about being positive all of the time. Positivity, in this sense, is about developing the emotional resilience necessary not to get stuck in a negative place for too long and to have the tools to rebound from emotional triggers constructively. As a continuation of mindset work, this module will introduce tools that participants can use to develop greater emotional resilience while improving self-efficacy. One of the most significant improvements to emotional resilience comes from applying a positivity-focused approach to our personal inventory.

It’s a natural human tendency to ruminate over our past mistakes, failures, and setbacks. Our brains are wired for survival before anything else; part of that survival is avoiding repeat behavior that may jeopardize the fulfillment of our basic needs. In our brain, this translates to, “I must keep all of my past errors top-of-mind so I don’t repeat them.” The obvious flaw in this well-intended mindset is that remembering our mistakes or shortcomings is not enough to prevent a recurrence. Additionally, being vigilant toward the negative aspects of our past only erodes our confidence today by increasing stress and depleting our self-efficacy. By understanding this negatively biased propensity of thought, we have the power to take action and change this natural tendency by adopting a new approach.

Regardless of how many perceived weaknesses, defects, or past mistakes a person has, there are always many more past wins, successes, and innate strengths to acknowledge. A simple exercise of listing out one’s past wins and successes on a comprehensive accomplishments list is a transformation exercise that starts promoting positivity. Once a habit of positive recognition is established, we are empowered for greater confidence and improved self-efficacy—these restored positive emotions fuel our creativity, mental performance, and personal drive.

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Objectives

01. Define positivity, understand what it means and the benefits of having a positive outlook on life.
02. Define happiness, understand the different kinds of happiness and how each is attained, as well as the pitfalls of each.
03. Understand the role of brain chemistry and its effect on the sensations of happiness.
04. Participants are to understand their happiness & emotional set point and what can be done to increase their natural set point.
05. Participants are to recognize the role of cognitive biases in their life, the effect on their happiness, and equip them to overcome the anti-happiness effect of them.
06. Participants are to understand the function of the RAS and learn how they can influence the RAS to perform better.
07. Understand the Default Mode Network (DMN), how it operates and can change, and to understand how neuroplasticity can enable us to make significant and permanent change.
08. Understand the nature of emotions and how they spread internally and externally.
09. Understand the concepts of fear and worry and how they can inhibit positivity and happiness.
10. Understand the concept of Negative Self-talk and our inner-critic, and learn how to overcome the inner-critic and reduce/illuminate the negative self-talk.
11. Participants are to spot the tendency toward social comparison and be able to limit or reverse the thoughts when they catch themselves doing so.
12. Understand that positivity is a trait and happiness is an emotional norm that we can cultivate. Participants are to take ownership of their positivity and level of happiness.

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Strategies

01. What is Positivity: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. What is Happiness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Brain Chemistry of Happiness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Happiness and Emotional Set Point: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Cognitive Biases Affecting Happiness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Reticular Activating System & Inattentional Blindness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Default Mode Network & Neuroplasticity: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Positivity is Infectious: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Thieves of Positivity – Fear and Worry: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Thieves of Positivity – Negative Self Talk: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Thieves of Positivity – Comparison: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Positivity and Happiness Interventions: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze What is Positivity.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze What is Happiness.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Brain Chemistry of Happiness.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Happiness and Emotional Set Point.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Cognitive Biases Affecting Happiness.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Reticular Activating System & Inattentional Blindness.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Default Mode Network & Neuroplasticity.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Positivity is Infectious.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Thieves of Positivity – Fear and Worry.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Thieves of Positivity – Negative Self Talk.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Thieves of Positivity – Comparison.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Positivity and Happiness Interventions.

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Introduction

“Positivity” is not about being positive all of the time – that is not attainable and would not be productive. In this program, positivity focuses on developing participants’ emotional resilience necessary to offer their best contribution regardless of the environment and circumstances around them. Positivity is about bouncing back from losses or negative situations without getting stuck in a negative emotional state or downward spiral. To bolster one’s positivity and emotional resilience, one must overcome the effects of negative biases and survival instincts that no longer serve them. Building on the benefits of accepting responsibility, this phase helps participants achieve higher levels of resilience by learning to focus on their past wins and successes. Acknowledging past achievements – from childhood to present day – is a powerful way to develop the self-esteem and confidence needed to lean into the next difficult challenge.

In most ways, our perception defines our reality. That holds for individuals as well as organizations and the opportunities they perceive and engage. Recent science demonstrates that an individual’s perception and beliefs will influence the outcomes of an experiment regardless of whether that individual is the experimenter or the object of the experiment.

With perception strongly correlated to experiences and outcomes, individuals and organizations need to understand perception biases that can influence a person’s reality and positively or negatively affect results.

The term Positivity doesn’t describe an expectation or propensity to be “positive” all the time. More so, as developed in Cultivating Potential, positivity refers to an individual’s and organization’s ability to experience a full range of challenging situations and emotions without tending in a negative direction or being stuck in a counter-productive cycle.

Regardless of other factors, resilience is one of the greatest assets for weathering the inevitable challenges and obstacles that present themselves. Growth requires setbacks, and innovation requires some momentary failures. Resilience is what fuels the ability to progress through and beyond these setbacks and failures. An organization’s capacity to adapt to changes, pursue opportunities, and expand into new markets is founded on the leaders’ and individuals’ resilience.

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Positivity v negativity and the impact on potential

How likely are you to reach your maximum potential in your current frame of mind? What are your current feelings? Is it a positive or negative mental state?

When you’re in a bad mood, your thinking shuts down. There is no evidence of possibility when the mind is concentrated on the negative. The mind isn’t particularly inventive. We are unable to function. Our minds are shut down. Constrained. Bound. It’s as if a gloomy shroud has been draped over our heads. Blinkers are used to cover the eyes. The ability to focus and see things clearly is hampered. It can feel as if you’re carrying the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. In this frame of mind, what are your chances of realizing your full potential?

Being in a positive frame of mind has the ability to expand the mind. Possibility, creativity, and perspective are all available to the mind. It has a light feel to it in both senses of the word. We have sharp vision and a sense of light. We can move, we’re light on our feet, agile, and responsive, and our perspective broadens. We have the ability to dance, play, move, and work. We’re considerably more likely to accomplish whatever we’ve put our minds to when we’re in a good mood. Anyone can accomplish their full potential if they are in this state of mind.

At different times, we all experience both states of thought. That isn’t a problem at all. If you want to reach your full potential, you must maintain a positive mindset for the majority of the time. It’s easier than you might think to break free from a negative mindset. Before I explain how, consider how each frame of thought makes you feel.

Words like heavy, dark, procrastination, fear, worry, fogginess, lethargy, and sluggishness are frequently used to characterize a bad state of mind. Everything is a labor of love. This is what we’ll call low quality.

You feel light, nimble, dynamic, courageous, clear, and optimistic when you’re in a positive frame of mind. You act, you move forward, and everything appears to be simple. This is what we’ll refer to as “excellent quality.”

You could use a variety of other words, but you get the idea. You are aware of the differences in how the two states of mind feel. This is extremely beneficial since just realizing this might help you be in a more positive frame of mind.

When you’re paying attention to unpleasant thoughts, you’ll get a low-quality feeling. It functions as a warning that you’ve had a bad idea, that you’ve believed it, and that it’s impacting you and, most likely, your performance. This does not need to be the case. When you hear the alarm, it’s a signal that it’s time to replace your negative thoughts with good ones.

Why do we pay so much attention to negative thinking if it’s so simple? Our conditioning, after all, is a learned way of thinking. We’re not aware that it’s an option. We don’t seem to have a choice in the issue. We are blissfully unaware that we are only one thinking away from a completely different experience.

When you’re not aware of it, a negative mindset is easy to fall into and difficult to escape. It’s easier to get out of it once you realize it for yourself. At the very least, acknowledging that you’re in a bad frame of mind provides you a sense of separation from it.

You can hunt for a good thought in any experience, and if you locate one, your experience will alter. Look for a pleasant emotion, a positive thinking when you find you’re stuck in a ‘negative’ feeling.

Realizing your full potential is a mental condition. Which mental state would you choose?

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