Finding your Positive Attitude!

Sorry for the dry spell in the training blog!  The world of MPS Training has been running fast and furious as you can tell by the many on-line classes you have been invited to and the new courses posted on the website.
I almost always find a way to drift away in the middle of January to some place warmer, so that too is part of the reason for the dry spell!  I am sure I suffer a little from the winter blues!  Sometimes I need to look for things to push the blues away, and get my attitude back on track both personally and professionally.  I thought I would dedicate this blog to a few inspirational pick-me-ups that might help beat some of those winter blues, spruce up your attitude, and may in general  give you food for thought and something to smile about.

This is a busy time of year for us, we are making plans for the coming season, trying to get winter projects completed, starting our hiring, training, training, training, and hopefully taking some time for ourselves!

So lets start this short inspirational journey to help build our positive attitudes by looking at some ways to beat the winter blues - What..... you say you don't get the Winter Blues!  Call me and next year you can share your secrets in our February Blog!

10 Cool Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Information taken from www.sparkpeople.com

1. Exercise

2. Eat a Healthy Diet

3. Get Some Sun -Sunlight provides Vitamin D and it also improves your mood

4. Act on your Resolutions

5. Avoid Binge Drinking

6. Treat Yourself - Having something to look forward to can help keep you motivated

7. Relax - Try to spend a few minutes each day doing nothing!

8. Embrace the Season - look for the best the snow has to offer!

9. Get Social support - Don't under estimate the power of friends, family, mentors, and co-workers.

10. Catch some Zzzzz's - Aim for 7-8 hours a night and keep your bedtime and wake-time consistent.

Keep Humor in Your Life!

Creating a Positive Work Environment

Toolbox Talk

Techniques that an employee can use to both physically and mentally help create a positive work environment.

I have shared a link here to a quick talk which shares tips for the individual that can help to create an overall positive workplace.  As you're going to find out during our upcoming PEP Training - it is not about just your supervisor creating a positive work place or completing your PEP - it is about a partnership between the entire team.

Positive attitude creates positive energy for both the giver and the receiver.

Here are five things you can do today to create a positive attitude in your workplace!  They are simple and fun, but just about the time you think "OK, this is a little Cheesy" just look at one of these and tell me if someone did this to you - you would not feel just a little better. ( From www.citehr.com)

1. Greet everyone today with an enthusiastic "Hello" and smile with good eye contact!

2. End every phone call or email with "Have a great day!"

3. Give everyone a compliment!  

4. Bake some chocolate chip cookies and pass them out!

5. Good news energizes.Create a "Good News Form" Write some good news about something at work on it and post it for everyone to see, or give it to your supervisor or manager.

Who moved my Cheese! 

In the last couple of years we have made tremendous movement in our parks, most of you work with a new manager or a new supervisor and I bet they are trying to feel their way and set new goals, and maybe move things around a little bit!  This is one of my favorite books to read and re-read every time someone changes things up on me and moves my cheese - it helps point me in a good direction.

When I left Point Lookout many years ago, as their manager, they baked a cake, with  "Who Moved My Cheese" as a theme - we had survived a merger, and entire change in staff, and two hurricanes at that point as a team - we learned to constantly look for new cheese!  A blog post on positive attitude would not be complete without visiting this little book!  I am sure many of you have read this book, so kick back and enjoy this short movie - its about 16 minutes long - and it might just help bring you back to a positive direction if you have lost your way!

Some final thoughts......

Two Seeds:

Two seeds lay side by side in fertile soil.

The first seed said, "I want to grow! I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth's crust above me....I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring...I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals!"

And so she grew.....

The second seed said, " Hmmmm.  If I send my roots into the ground below, I don't know what I will encounter in the dark.  If I push my way through the hard soil above me I may damage my delicate sprouts...what if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them?  And if I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me from the ground.  No, it is much better for me to wait until it is safe."

And so she waited......

A yard hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed and promptly ate it.

I end this blog by reminding you to take time for yourself and family  - the photo above was taken while snorkeling on St. Maarten - remember that January break I try to take each year to seek warmth!  It helps to bring my positive attitude back each winter too!