Enthusiasm by Tony Alessandra

You generally wear your positivity on the “inside.” But your enthusiasm is how you show it to the world by your face, your voice, and your gestures. Sometimes we feel enthusiastic about our ideas but we’re afraid to show it. But I think the people who influence us the most are those who are able to express on the outside what they’re feeling on the inside.

A friend of mine remembers touring a client’s office and seeing “cute” signs with negative messages plastered everywhere: “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys,” “Even a bad day on vacation is better than a good day at work,” and the like. Every message that every employee saw every day was negative. No wonder, my friend later concluded, morale there was so low.

Most people like to be around those who radiate joy and interest, whether at work or at play. What’s more, enthusiasm is infectious. It spreads. But so does the lack of it. The choice is yours.

We’ve probably all worked with people who were negative about the job, the firm, their colleagues, the environment, the world itself, and then were further upset when—surprise!—they didn’t get the big promotion. They chose to be problems, not problem-solvers. So was it any wonder that the boss would pick someone who was more positive and enthusiastic?

The response you receive from the world is in large measure a reflection of your own attitude. From the beginning to the end of every meeting with another person, you are onstage: You’re being evaluated by that other person, consciously or subconsciously. While I’m not suggesting you put on a phony happy face, I am reminding you to be aware that your every word, gesture, expression, and impression is being watched—especially in initial encounters—and will either help or hinder you in fostering honest, open, and trusting communications.

If your overall approach is cheerful, hopeful, and tolerant of differences, you send out a positive message. On the other hand, if you’re critical, pessimistic, and intolerant of anything unfamiliar, you convey a negative outlook. Guess which attitude gets better results when you’re trying to influence people?

Three Ounces by Ron White

I love baseball.

I love going to a game alone, with friends or watching it on TV. I can talk baseball for hours, or even reading about it is interesting for me. Therefore, it should be no suprise that I've played on a softball team. I am a decent fielder; however, I take tremendous pride in my hitting. One season there was only one at-bat that I did not get on base. In other words, I either received a walk or made a hit 29 out of 30 at bats. At the risk of sounding boastful, that is an extremely impressive statistic!

However, as sometimes occurs in every aspect of life, I went into a slump the very next season. During this season, I went six consecutive at-bats without a hit or a walk. I even struck out once swinging! It was very frustrating for me. I quickly became the worst hitter on the team. I was embarassed and didn't know what to do and then I remembered Ernie Banks...

Ernie played baseball in the 1950s and he lightened his bat by 3 ounces. He went from hitting 19 home runs to 45 home runs all because of 3 ounces! So I took a cue from Ernie Banks and I lightened my bat by 3 ounces. It was AMAZING! I began clobbering the ball all over the field. I finished the season on a hitting tear.

How much is 3 ounces? Very little...but a lot. Is your life in a slump? If it is, my guess is it's not because you need a major overhaul. Ninety-five percent of the time, dramatic changes can be seen with just minor tweaking. The difference between $50,000 and $500,000 a year may be the result of minor improvements. If you are getting your desired result, ask yourself, "Is there anything that I can change just a little in my daily routine to see dramatic results?" Perhaps, a 20-minute daily workout, better time management, reading a book a week, or some other idea.

Sometimes a small change is all that it takes. You may be surprised how much 3 ounces is!