So...Norman Vincent Peale had a point.
And The Secret is being shared at record pace; viral at warp speed.
Yup, there is indeed Pow!er in Positive Thinking.
Since Monday night, being part of The Power Within tour, I've been surrounded by motivational speakers and those who wanna be motivated. And boy, are my endorphins tired.
First of all, in all modesty, I think I really hit it out of the park. I worked my butt off preparing, and it paid off big time. 4,500 in Ottawa was huge, but 7,000 in Vancouver was insane. The audiences were warm, welcoming and raucous. It's a rush I wish you all will experience one day.
As a learning experience though, what I found exceptional was the infectious positive buzz of the participants. When I was at Just For Laughs, I would always marvel at the dichotomy of the comedian--wild, zany and upbeat on stage; miserable, vindictive and depressed off. Not so with the motivators--their optimism and enthusiasm actually increased when out of stagelight range.
They flowed with confidence; consistently unflappable and constructive. For example, when Les Brown lost his passport on the flight to Vancouver, he maintained dignity and calm, even when the rude Air Canada guy treated him like a piece of lint. I would've been flipping out, swearing, freaking about the flight home and other consequences; Les acted as if he had lost half a pack of gum.
The big Surprise though was the physical effect of all this positivity:
- Les Brown, 62 years old, looked about 50.
- Jim Fannin, 59 years old, looked at least a decade younger.
- Suzanne Somers, a 60-year-old grandmother, pranced about like a pixie, a persistent smile lighting her path.
- 47-year-old Tony Robbins--after three hours of pacing, leaping, roaring and leading the frenzied crowd in group dynamics--comes off-stage with barely a break in his breathing.
- Even Craig Kielburger, the boy wonder of altruism, still looked like a teenager.
The Fountain of Youth exists...inside of us. Stay up and stay young. Just incredible.
To make matters even better, following the goings-on back home at Airborne by Blackberry, I am treated to emails that say things like:
"Wonderful message Lance...(it) and reflects the great teamwork and industry positioning we sometimes forget about."
"Dennis, these are great suggestions."
"I am starting to see what’s coming and it looks very positive."
A team, working together, supporting each other in the challenges facing a company on a wild ride through a rapidly-changing industry. This from a culture that, as recently as six months ago, was bogged down by curt, cold email chains of ass-covering and finger-pointing. What a magnificent turnaround.
Stay upbeat and things will go better. And if they go wrong, being positive will help you deal with it. And no matter what, you'll you'll be lookin' good.
A win-win-win.
Enjoy the weekend!