My friend Rick Salmeron recently shared this video with me.  I am grateful for the reminder that the only road to success is through repeated failure. 

I used to wonder if one person could make a difference. This wasn’t a philosophical exercise that I pondered in some detached way.  For me, this question was more critical than that. I tried to ignore it by keeping busy with social events and classes (this was before I had my kids), but I couldn’t run from the nagging notion that there might be a bigger way to live my life.   The possibility at least offered a promise that there could be meaningful work beyond my IBM cubicle, which had begun to close in on my like a cage.  So in 2003, still without answers, I took the plunge and resigned from my job.

A steady paycheck wasn’t overrated in those days (or any day), so I don’t want to sound blasé about the decision.  Leaving behind a good job to start over in sales was difficult on many levels. I had worked extremely hard to build a career in management consulting with a top firm.   But I hadn’t done it for any more compelling reasons than to make money and have a title.  Like any other ambitious person, I wanted to be somebody.  Yet, in trying so hard to do so, I had become somebody else.  I was more or less okay with this until my eyes began opening to what I might be missing.   

We hear all the time about the power of positive thinking, but what about the power of positive speaking?  No matter how bad our thoughts may be, at least we can keep them to ourselves. Words, on the other hand, can never be taken back.  Who can forget the sting of words that hurt?  Negative words, even offhanded remarks directed at nobody in particular, can weaken our bodies and deflate our spirits. In his book The No Complaining Rule, author Jon Gordon reveals this about the power of negative words:

• Negativity increases stress and pain, and reduces energy and success.
• Ninety percent of doctor’s visits are related to stress, a consequence of negativity.
• One negative person can create a miserable environment for everyone else.
• Negative people have fewer friends.
• Costs the U.S. economy between $250 and $300 billion per year in lost productivity, according to the Gallup poll.

Our communication style even reflects our spiritual health (visit my extended post on SustainLane.com to learn why).  As a practical matter, positive communications is a necessary life skill, an essential part of emotional intelligence, a way to get ahead, and a way to be decent to others.  Positive communications also boosts your influence. Here are some powerful statements on the power of positive words from a very diverse set of leaders: