Can We Get Back to Positivity?

Release your mindset

What I've learned to avoid are the issues that exist completely outside my sphere of influence.

There comes a point when protecting your peace becomes just as important as staying informed. Recently, I have found myself becoming increasingly impatient with the constant stream of negative news that dominates social media, television, and everyday conversations. It seems that everywhere we turn, someone is angry, someone is offended, or someone is trying to convince us that the world is falling apart.

While I understand that there are real problems that deserve our attention, I have also come to realize that there is an important difference between being informed and becoming emotionally consumed by negativity. That distinction has changed the way I choose to spend my time and where I focus my attention.

The older I get, the more I value my mental energy. I no longer enjoy endlessly scrolling through social media only to encounter one discouraging story after another. Too often, the content is designed to provoke outrage rather than inspire hope. After a while, that constant exposure becomes emotionally draining.

Instead, I have started asking myself a simple question: "Can I actually do something about this?"

If one of my investments isn't performing well, I have choices. I can study the company more thoroughly, hold the investment, or sell it altogether. Those are decisions within my control.

The same is true in my professional life. One of the most rewarding aspects of my career is solving problems. Every challenge presents an opportunity to improve a process, help a coworker, mentor an employee, or create a better outcome for our team. Those are the kinds of problems I genuinely enjoy tackling because they are meaningful and actionable. Solving them gives me energy instead of taking it away.

What I've learned to avoid are the issues that exist completely outside my sphere of influence.

Among the most exhausting are endless debates over politics and religion. Everyone has the right to hold personal beliefs, and healthy discussions certainly have their place. However, I have reached a point where I no longer feel compelled to spend hours trying to persuade someone to change deeply held opinions. More often than not, those conversations produce more frustration than understanding.

I'd rather invest that same time encouraging someone, strengthening relationships, or working toward goals that create positive change.

Another source of negativity that has become increasingly difficult for me is hearing people criticize others simply because they are different. Whether the discussion centers on race, religion, politics, or sexual identity, it is easy to forget that these conversations involve real human beings with families who love them.

For me, that reality is personal.

Some of the people being discussed are my own children.

No matter how someone chooses to identify, they will always be my children. My role has never been to fit them into someone else's expectations. My role is to love them, support them, and be their father. If there is one identity I proudly embrace above all others, it is simply being "Pops." That title means more to me than any political argument or cultural debate ever could.

The influence of negativity extends beyond our phones. Even everyday errands can become opportunities for constant exposure to discouraging headlines. One place I visit regularly has a television tuned to a 24-hour news channel directly in front of the waiting area. During a typical visit, the screen cycles through crisis after crisis, conflict after conflict, and outrage after outrage.

Fortunately, I have discovered a simple solution.

I put on my headphones.

Instead of listening to endless breaking news, I choose podcasts, audiobooks, or educational content that leaves me feeling informed, encouraged, and motivated. That small decision reminds me that while we cannot control every message around us, we can often choose which voices receive our attention.

Personally, I would love to see more stories that celebrate the very best of humanity.

I want to read about the 87-year-old who fulfilled a lifelong dream by earning a Ph.D.

I want to hear about the entrepreneur who started with only a few hundred dollars and built a thriving business through determination and perseverance.

I want to learn about the young filmmaker who created an entire movie using an iPhone and earned distribution through a major studio because creativity mattered more than expensive equipment.

Stories like these remind us that obstacles can be overcome, dreams can be realized, and ordinary people are capable of extraordinary achievements.

Yet the stories that touch me most deeply are those involving cancer survivors ringing the hospital bell.

For anyone who has experienced that journey, the sound of that bell represents much more than the completion of treatment. It symbolizes hope, courage, resilience, and the gift of another day.

In 2018, I had the privilege of ringing that bell myself.

Every time I hear about someone else reaching that milestone, I cannot help but smile. It reminds me to be grateful for each new morning, every conversation with family, every opportunity to encourage someone, and every chance to pursue the purpose God has placed before me.

Those are the stories that deserve to be shared more often.

Imagine how different our outlook might be if stories of perseverance received as much attention as stories of conflict. Imagine if acts of kindness spread as quickly as outrage. Imagine if the headlines reminded us not only of the world's problems but also of humanity's remarkable ability to overcome them.

I believe we would all feel a little lighter.

We would be more hopeful.

We would likely treat one another with greater compassion.

Choosing positivity does not mean ignoring reality. It does not mean pretending problems do not exist. Rather, it means directing our attention toward the areas where we can make a meaningful difference while refusing to allow constant negativity to dominate our thinking.

Our attention is one of our most valuable resources. Once spent, it cannot be recovered.

For that reason, I intend to spend mine pursuing solutions instead of arguments, celebrating victories instead of dwelling on divisions, and seeking stories that remind us of what is possible.

Perhaps it is time for all of us to ask a simple question.

Can we get back to positivity?