‘What is the positive in this negative?’ or ‘can you find a positive from this situation?’ or ‘how can you turn this decision around to see the positive?’ or ‘there is always a silver lining’.
These are common questions and statements which fly around my home when I am talking with my three children about their experiences. It is often easier to see the negative impacts which come from decisions they have made, actions they have taken, or situations they have found themselves in which have not panned out the way they thought they would. In the past my children have focused so much on the negative and often this leads to them passing blame to others and not taking responsibility for themselves and their actions. It affects their mood, their thoughts and their relationships. At CCSC we place a huge focus on an individual taking responsibility for their actions or their behaviours and spending time reflecting on the impact not only on themselves but the people around them. This is a challenge.
It is much harder to flip the thinking and try to see a positive outcome from what was originally perceived as negative. It requires more energy and thought to see how a behaviour or outcome has affected others or even ourselves. But if we can take time to process this and become aware of the need for greater ownership then eventually it will become the norm.
My reflections of this week and my ‘negative to a positive’ is that I have been grateful for exposure to certain situations because it has highlighted the need for me to be more assertive and forward thinking. Through this process I have also understood the impact of my decisions on others and am more aware of giving greater consideration. I have opened up more opportunity to students through the experience and this I see as a win. Majorly, I have forged a more positive relationship with those people involved where a greater perspective and deeper understanding has been presented. This to me is the most important gain and the biggest positive in this week’s negative.
I challenge you to, next time something doesn’t go to plan and you can only see a negative, flip it and reflect and find the positive. There will always be one.
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