Is it possible for a negative attitude to produce positive results?

As we continue into this last week of 2016 and look forward to 2017, it is natural to take a look back and see how the past year went. It was a year full of ups and downs, of losses and triumphs, without a doubt. With everything that happened – both positive and negative – it is possible to think that all the successes were our own doing, and all the failures had external causes. Perhaps a more helpful perspective would be to look at 2016 through the lens of “How did my attitude affect my circumstances?”

To be sure, we aren’t – or shouldn’t be – the center of our personal universe. It also doesn’t suggest that we are the sole determiner of how well things go in our lives. But the fact remains that our futures can be affected by two factors: 1) how we perceive our circumstances, and, 2) how we choose to respond to them. This fact is true regardless of whether the conditions are desirable or not.

If we are going through difficult times and we think “the world is ganging up on me” or “everything is against me,” we may feel paranoid or defeated or both. But, if we look at adverse circumstances as a challenge to be overcome, they may provide a push toward positive, helpful action. In bad times, our perceptions may be right or wrong, but we can still choose our response.

The same holds true in good times. If we believe that recent good fortune has been the result of personal expertise or talent, we could think too much of ourselves. If we believe that positive outcomes are the results of good fortune – or providential blessings – then gratitude is our reasonable response. As with bad times, we still have a choice when things are going well, and that choice can have profound consequences.

So what do you want to see in 2017? No matter how 2016 went, I think that most of us tend to be hopeful at the start of a new year when we think about what the future holds. There are two things that we can count on as we look ahead:

1. We can’t control all our circumstances (or other people, for that matter)
2. We can control our attitude as we go through those times

Getting back to the question we considered at the beginning, it isn’t possible for a negative attitude to produce positive results. If things are going well, our negative outlook will insist that “the other shoe” will drop soon. If things aren’t going well, then that’s just “par for the course.”

But what if we decide to maintain a positive attitude, regardless of what happens? What possibilities would this new outlook bring about? What goals become achievable in 2017 if we choose to believe that a positive outlook will be our new “personal status quo” this next year?

With so many folks around us focusing on the negative (for a variety of reasons), could you be a powerful influence for good, just by choosing to embrace the positive in 2017?

So what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic, either in the comment section below or on Facebook.

.