SCABs

Positivi-key – By @katyedelsten

Katy Edelsten

By Katy Edelsten

 

Positivi-key

I’m poor, everything I produce is awful and I think I might just be exhausted. 
Weirdly though, I’m feeling more positive than ever about this SCA-and- advertising-stuff. 
I’m optimistic to the point of hilarity most of the time, but this week its been insane. I’m bouncing off the walls enjoying myself. 
I don’t know if it was listening to this on repeat and editing it, or the flat failure I’ve felt in the last few weeks, or just some bizarre imbalance in my brain. But at some point this week I just started seeing failure totally differently. I started to see how important it actually is, and how much our thinking and work has changed in the little time we’ve been here. 
Something has actually changed in the way my mind works when approaching a brief and that’s quite fascinating, and always positive (self development and all that). It’s impressive how quickly our surroundings have an impact on us. We forget how adaptable we really are. Weird humans. 
Positivity is like luck. If you’re in a terrible mood, or raining all over someone’s parade, then the world will rain on you. And you sort of deserve the rain because you’re refusing to see the sun. But if you just try to channel some happiness (even false at first) then those around will absorb it, channel it and bounce it right back at you. Change your outlook. Fake it til you make it. Convince yourself you love it and you just might. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy. 
You will feel better for it. Produce better work for it. And enjoy yourself!
It’s not just about appearing upbeat or being happy, thinking positively is needed to gain real life skills. 
–SCIENCE ALERT–

Negative emotions narrow your mind and force rational thinking. They make the other options seem irrelevant. By limiting the options around you, you are consumed. You have your blinkers well and truly on. You’re in survival instinct mode. Not creativity mode. 

Positive thinking, on the other hand, allows for more possibility in any given situation. It broadens your sense of opportunity and opens your eyes. In turn, taking opportunities and running with them builds your skill set immeasurably. You’re in development mode. You’re in learning-how-to-do-stuff mode. You’re in I’m-learning-After-Effects-for-kicks mode. WAY MORE FUN.

In a nutshell; positivity is both the precursor to success and the result of it.

In life, you get what you give. Everything is an opportunity. Even if you aren’t a naturally positive person, why not learn to be**? Like most key skills you aren’t born ‘hardworking’ or ‘reliable’ or ‘with work ethic’ like your CV may claim; you’ve just learnt them one-way-or-another, probably through screwing things up and failing, as countless mentors have said.
So positivity can be learnt. And if it’s really painful you can even be a positive pessimist if you must (tbd)* 
After all, you are so much more likely to be a success if you think it’s actually possible. It’s also way more efficient to double up work with fun. 
Here’s that link again, because if you won’t take it from me, take it from Katie Piper. Positivity is key. 
*To Be Defined in a future SCAB
**Intelligent teacher housemate calls this ‘Growth Mindset’
 
—-
SCAB TANGENT 
The most valuable truth I took from Ben the Buddhist was ‘if you’re feeling low, the best thing to do is call someone who would love to hear from you”. Next time you feel rubbish, do that. It works a treat and makes two people happy pretty quickly. 
 
Yours Sincerely,
 
 
Positivi-katy

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