Leaders are responsible for the energy they bring to their environments.  It’s not ok to pass that off to someone else or wait for outside forces to bring positivity into our lives.  That’s why today, my reminder is that you all need to BYOS - Bring Your Own Sunshine!  It’s up to us as leaders to set the stage for how we want our organizations and families to operate.  Do we want everyone in a dark cloud of negativity and despair? Or do we want bright sunshine illuminating the great things happening in our workplaces, communities and homes?  Well if you want the latter, you’re in luck, because you can make that happen.

I’m not talking about manufacturing fake happiness, I’m suggesting that even on our dark days, we have choices that shift how we show up and the energy we bring to those around us.  If we start by doing small positive things, it begins a virtuous cycle (opposite of a vicious cycle aka a downward spiral).  That virtuous cycle compounds those small positive actions and manifests into something that is overwhelmingly awesome.  Here are three things you can do right away to initiate that cycle:

1) Smile More - Have you ever noticed that when you smile at someone, they almost always smile back?  I was walking down the street the other day and this guy was smiling, singing and happy as could be.  Before I could even begin to make up a story in my head about why he was so happy, I had a huge grin on my face.  It’s also really hard to think negative thoughts in when you’re smiling.  So make a commitment today to smile more than you usually do! 

2) Look for the Positive - You’ll always find what you’re looking for, so if you’re looking for good things, you’re going to find them and if you’re looking for bad news - then you’ll find that.  We are often hammered with negativity in our lives - those of you that watch the news know what I’m talking about.  We have to train our brains to scan the world for positive things.  An easy way to do this is to make a list of five great things that happen to you each day.  If you’re consistent about this, pretty soon you’ll be hard pressed to see all that negativity that used to litter your mind.

3) Give Compliments - While you’re looking for that positivity, take it one step further and offer someone else a compliment.  Sharing a genuine appreciation for someone else can be magical.  How many compliments did you get today?  If we start giving more of them out, the law of giving states, we’ll get more of them in return and who doesn’t like to be complimented?  It makes us feel good, feel noticed and appreciated.

Stop waiting for someone else to make your day great.  BYOS and make someone else’s day great!  I guarantee that seeing that smile you bring to another person will lift your spirits even higher.  And one final added bonus - none of these things will cost you any money, yet they will provide huge returns!

*Each week I share a leadership message with our team and we are honored to share it with you via MIBE Tribe. MIBE (the acronym for Make It Better Everyday) Tribe delivers education on heart leadership and intentional culture building for the hospitality industry.