LINDSAY’S LETTER: FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE
Lindsay’s Letter is a monthly note of encouragement & inspiration to our creative community about navigating the journey of growing a business, finding a supportive community, and the many life lessons to be learned along the way. We are happy to share this with anyone who considers themselves part of this Student-Made community!
Have you ever wished you had a superpower? (Come on Lindsay, who hasn’t…?)
I’m sure the superpowers you wished you had are along the lines of time-travel, an invisibility cloak or maybe super strength. Well, as awesome as those are, what if I told you that we ALL had access to a superpower that’s even cooler?
Perhaps the most super of all the superpowers— the power of Positive Thinking. Wait, wait! Before you exit this tab because you think that sounds so lame compared to time travel… give me a chance to prove it to you.
As you’re probably well aware, life is FULL of things that we can’t control. On a daily basis we have to be able to manage anything and everything that comes our way… hitting standstill traffic on the way to an important meeting, not getting into the class we so desperately wanted, torrential downpours during our family vacation, and the list goes on.
Because we live in a world where so much is out of our control, we can look to the exciting possibilities awaiting us in the things that we CAN control. How we react to things that happen to us and around us, is one of these things. And, it can actually end up being more impactful than the thing itself that happened.
Here are some things you might consider to be negatives. (And hey, I would probably be right there with ya…)
Making a new collection of products and not selling any at a pop-up.
Working hard to make an impact in your community and not seeing engagement from others.
Being half-way through college and feeling like you have no idea what you want to do.
Being someone who can turn a negative situation into a positive one is like having a shield that’s indestructible around you 24/7, protecting you from a long list of possible disappointments, frustrations and setbacks.
Being able to utilize this superpower means believing that things happen for a reason. That you’re strong enough to overcome any obstacle. And that the things we can so quickly assume to be bad, can in fact bring about a better situation than we ever imagined.
Have you ever considered any of these possibilities?
Making a new collection of products and not selling any at a pop-up seems like a negative… But what if that experience gave you the most valuable product feedback you could have ever gotten about what your customers are looking for? And now, you adapt, try something new, and thrive.
Working hard to make an impact in your community and not seeing engagement from others seems like a negative… But what if that inspires you to think differently about how you go about creating strong, meaningful connections? And that lesson lasts you a lifetime.
Being half-way through college and feeling like you have no idea what you want to do seems like a negative… But what if being in this unknown space is what keeps you open and thinking creatively about the many possibilities out there for you? And this leads you exactly where you were meant to go.
Just like that, you have single handedly altered an outcome for yourself– protecting against negative feelings and reactions that won’t serve you. Now that’s what I call a superpower.
No matter what dream you're chasing, being able to adjust your mindset when hardship strikes will not only make you more successful in getting to where you’re aiming to go, but it will actually allow you to truly enjoy each twist and turn— excitedly awaiting what’s around the corner because you know that no matter what it is, you’ll be able to use it for good.
