The Positive Dog: A Story About the Power of Positivity

April 30, 2012

Discover the Benefits of Being Positive

Bestselling Author Jon Gordon Shares Proven Strategies to Help People and Teams Become More Positive

Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the way to live and work for those who want to innovate, create and build a better future for themselves, their companies and their country.

Anyone looking to find the benefits of being positive should take a drive down the 101 corridor of Silicon Valley. Visit the companies and talk to the employees. Sit in the cafés and listen to the conversations. There’s a collective optimism and positivity that drives innovation, creates jobs and represents everything that is right and great about America. While the rest of the country was going through the great recession the people who lead and work for the companies in Silicon Valley refused to participate in the recession. They were too busy trying to succeed, believing they could change the world rather than succumb to adversity.

The people and companies of Silicon Valley demonstrate what the research in the maturing field of positive psychology has been telling us. There are real and tangible benefits of being positive that would make event the most cynical New Yorker smile. For example, research demonstrates:

• Creativity is enhanced when you are positive.
• Optimistic and positive people sell more than pessimistic people.
• Positivity helps people maintain a broader perspective of the world which helps many see the big picture and identify solutions rather than negatively focusing on problems.
• Positively charged work environments outperform negatively charged work environments.
• Dreaming about the future enhances your positivity.

No one knows the importance of staying positive in the face of adversity more than author Jon Gordon. After losing his job during the dot.com crash and receiving an ultimatum from his wife because his negativity was destroying their marriage and family, Gordon began researching ways to be more positive in the, then, emerging field of positive psychology. The research led him to develop a series of practices, habits and rituals that not only helped him become more positive but helped him improve his marriage, family and life.

Over the years Jon has shared his strategies with millions of people including many NFL and NBA teams, college sports programs, companies and school districts who have experienced the benefit of being positive.

Based on these proven strategies and work with various organizations, Gordon wrote The Positive Dog: A Story About the Power of Positivity (Wiley; Hardcover and ebook; May 2012; $16.95; 978-0-470-88855-1), about the choice everyone has to feed the negative or positive dog inside of them. The Positive Dog not only shares the research and benefits of being positive but also provides strategies and an action plan for people to cultivate positivity in their life and team.

Jon believes that a simple, fun, powerful story combined with action steps to cultivate positivity is a recipe that will help people experience the benefits of being positive. He admits that not everyone who decides to be positive will change the world in the way the Silicon Valley companies have. Yet, he knows first-hand that those who choose to feed the positive dog will change their world and the world around them…… and that’s a great place to start.

For anyone looking to overcome negativity and the challenges to become more positive, The Positive Dog provides the inspiration to feed oneself and their team with positivity with simple actions to enhance positivity, including:

• The 10 costs of negativity
• 7 Days to be More Positive
• 11 Benefits of Being Positive
• Taking the Positive Pledge