Think and Grow Positive: Be the Change You Want to See

By Kenyatta Skyles

Philosopher James Allen is famous for his quote: “As a man thinketh, so he is. As he continues to think, so he remains.” Do you believe that you can attend the college you desire? How about that job, have you already determined that you will put in the work to get that new position? The power of words has an impact on the emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of the body. In other words, your language manifest what you want to see in life. The July 2, EYEJ Speaks episode featured an intergenerational all-female that brought their unique perspectives to the science and common sense of Achieving a Positive Mindset. Moderated by Leen Ajlouni, panelists included:

• Katie Ross, Program Director, EYEJ
• Diamond Bottoson, Senior at Cleveland Early College and EYEJ Youth Council Member
• Brady Lorek, Educator
• Jackie Stavros, Professor, College of Business & IT, Lawrence Technological University

The charge for social justice, whether focused on housing inequities, lack of broadband access, or income disparities, has been one fought with many tactics. Still, the most robust strategy of all was maintaining a positive disposition. This week’s discussion series examined equity from the lens of achieving a positive outlook and the implications on one’s life. The panelists shared observations from diverse perspectives honing in on subjects such as Emotional Intelligence, SOAR, Generative Questions, and the power of language.

ACHIEVING A POSITIVE MINDSET HIGHLIGHTS

IS ACHIEVING A POSITIVE MINDSET A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE?

OVERCOMING NEGATIVE MENTAL ROADBLOCKS

Educator Brady Lorek’s insight was the basis for this week’s takeaways. “Negative thinking disproportionately affects students with anxiety. Further, persistent negative thoughts often lead to unproductive behaviors. It not only affects mental health but also physical.” This week’s episode led to numerous gems of wisdom, but three of the significant observations posed included:

1. Words have power! The mind and body are connected, so your body doesn’t know the difference between a joke and when you make a factual statement. People need to choose empowering words that describe how they feel and reflect on how they want to think in the future.
2. Generative Questions can add value, excitement, and curiosity to a discussion, which can lead to more significant insights about one’s situation. They challenge your current thinking and mentality and enable you to explore ideas and concepts outside of your current beliefs.
3. While SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) is an analytical tool, SOAR (Strength, Opportunity, Aspirations, Results) is an ethos that supports the theory anything is possible. SOAR focuses on the strengths one posse, their aspirations, and the results they hope to achieve.

The shining star of this week’s EYEJ Speaks program was EYEJ Youth Council member Diamond Bottoson who had shared some powerful words of encouragement for Council members and others young adults navigate the daily challenges of life: “find somebody that will encourage you to do better and to keep striving for greatness and to never give up and don’t feel like your a failure just because you’re bad at one thing or that your surrounded by negativity….because you could be the light yourself.”

To view the full episode of EYEJ Speaks on Achieving a Positive Mindset, visit our Facebook page. Investing In Your Future is the next episode of the Facebook Live discussion series taking place on Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 10 am EDT. Please be sure to RSVP on Facebook to be part of this community conversation. Listen to the behind the scenes conversation with guests on the EYEJ Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast.