“Keep your face always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you.”~Walt Whitman
Have you noticed those people who always seem to be positive and upbeat? Who never come across as defeated, or discouraged? Do they inspire you? Or do they drive you crazy?
Either way, more and more research is showing that resilience is truly a leadership, and life, skill. That whether those positive people motivate us, or disgust us, their approach to life is one we should strive for. But how?
How is relatively simple, as noted by Walt Whitman. Or, at least, relatively simple to understand, if not to put into action. Keep our face always towards the sunshine, he suggests.
Keep looking towards what’s working. Keep looking towards what makes us smile and gives us warmth. Keep looking towards the things that are positive, and let the shadows be behind us.
Can it really be as simple as that? That our mood depends on what we focus on? What we notice? Can we really influence our shadows to fall behind us, to cause us less grief, less darkness? It seems to be true.
I notice it in my own life. When I face the sunshine, when I choose to turn away from the shadows and negativity, the shadows are no longer in my way. I notice it in my clients. I witness them stuck in their frustration, or even their despair, and then their determined pivot towards the sunshine – the light in their life (even if they have to work hard to find it) – chases away their shadows.
Facing the sunshine seems to work. It seems to bring light and clarity and ease, even. To cast the shadows behind me.
What happens when you face the sunshine?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For support in facing the sunshine, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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