July 2009 Newsletter - featured writer Bruce Rosove

Atlanta Creativity Exchange 2010
May 6-8, 2010
"Hooked at the Roots"
July 2009 Newsletter - featured writer Bruce Rosove


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"How to Fly With Positive Emotions!"
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Dear Alan,

I had just been to the second annual Atlanta Creativity Exchange (ACE) and was at the airport waiting for my flight. In fact, I was at the gate. The one the flight had been changed to. It was across the hall from where the flight was supposed to have been and there was a huge crowd waiting in line to find out what the H.... was happening. Anyway, they started boarding the plane and I still did not have a boarding pass. So I went to the desk and asked them politely and calmly, whether they had a pass for me. The first time I did this they did not.

As I said I'd just been at ACE. I had presented a session there on how to foster positive emotions. But, I was not feeling too positive myself just then. After all there was a crowd, nothing was happening, and I wanted to fly home.

Then I had an insight. I could use what I was telling others about creating positive emotions to help myself.

I always start my sessions on this topic by asking people: What is an emotion?

Through some exercises we come to the conclusion that an emotion is a reaction to a thought. In fact, people often get thoughts and emotions confused. With a little practice, we can control our thoughts. It's not really possible to control our emotions.

So, I thought, what are my thoughts? I realized that the thoughts I was having were something like:

I may not get home tonight. The flight has been cancelled. I'll never find a place to stay in Atlanta! What will I do....etc.

So I looked at the thoughts. I suddenly realized: SO WHAT!

In fact, I started thinking about all the advantages of staying in Atlanta an extra night. (I had been at a CREATIVITY Conference after all. Generating ideas is one of the key steps in creativity!)

Well, there were lots of great aspects to this idea. But even if there had not been fun options for staying an extra night I had broken the catastrophe scenario in my mind and replaced it with a much more relaxed perspective.

And, how did I feel? I felt very different. I could sense my whole body relaxing. I had not realized it had been tense. And as I relaxed I was able to see the whole situation as just a minor delay in an otherwise smooth trip.

Now there is a bonus to the story, in fact two bonuses.

The first relates to the fact that I had a confirmed seat but no boarding pass. When I had checked my luggage they told me that the plane was full and that I'd need to get my boarding pass at the gate. That was why the crowd at the gate was so upsetting at first.

Anyway, by now I've been waiting quite a while. And still no boarding pass. They started calling people to board the plane. I went back to the desk and asked again if they had a pass for me. The harried woman looked on her desk found my pass and handed it to me.

I looked at it and was elated! It was for a seat in the exit row, the row with extra leg room. I laughed and happily got on the plane.

I don't know whether I believe in the Law of Attraction. But if that Law is a reality I believe the fact that I stopped having negative thoughts and started having positive ones helped me get that great seat.

But there is more. I hesitate to tell this part because it reveals that I prefer sitting beside petite people to sitting beside people who overflow their seat.

I'll take the chance that you won't judge me too harshly. Anyway, I had drawn, so to speak, the window seat in the Exit row. I had a great view from there. There was another man sitting in the aisle seat. Who would get the middle seat remained a mystery. Sure enough here she came, a very large woman. She sat down and her coat flopped over into my seat. I spoke to her and she never replied. I thought, oh well. Just think positive thoughts. Just then an attractive very petite person came along and indicated that the middle seat was hers. After quite a bit of hesitation the stewardess agreed that the passengers in question should switch. So I got to fly from Atlanta to Detroit having a very interesting conversation with a petite woman who had been born in Korea.

A potentially boring and difficult trip had been turned into a very pleasant experience. I believe that my positive thoughts and the resulting positive emotions at the very least contributed to my pleasant experience. If nothing else, my positive thoughts helped me relax. So even if all the other positive things had not happened, my ability to change my thoughts to be more positive led to a much more relaxed and contented Bruce.

What do you think?

Summary:

Positive thoughts lead to positive emotions lead to positive experiences.

Copyright © Bruce Rosove 2009. Bruce is a Life Coach and Organizational Development Consultant. His practice focuses on helping individuals and organizations exceed their "perceived potential", both on a personal level and in their organizations. He operates the Ottawa Branch of the Emotional Fitness Institute.

Bruce can be reached at: (613) 233 8013 Bruce.Rosove@Rogers.com. http://www.efitinstitute.com/Ottawa.aspx
http://www.meetup.com/The-Emotional-Fitness-Coaching-Group/