Be a Leading Economic Indicator

My head is a discombobulated hot mess.

I bounce from worried to giddy to frustrated to hyperfocused to listless to pound-the-desk-angry to footloose and fancy-free like a superball in a house of mirrors.

The sad news is I’m doing it to myself.

I’ve dived down so many rabbit holes with the virus, the election, and the economy; it’s no wonder I’m acting like Ford Prefect without a towel.

When you lose control of your inputs, it’s pretty darn tough to control your output.

So I have a challenge for you (and by you, I mean me, but it’s probably a good idea for you to do too): when you’re talking to your co-workers, family, friends, look up.

I’m not talking about wearing Rose-colored glasses or being a Pollyanna. I’m not saying to ignore the news, the scientists, or our elected leaders. But stop fixating on it. Stop amplifying it by repeating the bad stuff.

There’s a game of one-upmanship (or, more accurately, one-downsmanship) that we often catch ourselves in. Someone shares some bad news they’ve read about and then someone else pipes in with a similar or worse story. A domino effect kicks in and everyone is lamenting our sorry state of affairs.

Break the chain. Look up. Spread optimism.

Talk about something you found at your favorite local store. Rave about the delicious carry out you ordered the other night. Chat up that show that made you laugh. Praise our healthcare workers and scientists and teachers. Share that special moment you had with the kids the other day that you would have missed if the world was still just a little bit normal.

Yes, a virulent pandemic rages on. Yes, our reality-show president has fractured reality and cracked the brains of his red hat society. Yes, businesses and families are on the brink of financial collapse. You can’t fix any of those things. You can wear a mask, politely fact-check your friends, and focus on your work – which will actually help the economy.

We choose what we’re going to focus on.

Legends, great companies, and epic opportunities aren’t made in the uptimes; they are made now. This is your chance to be a leading economic indicator.

All that good news you plant in the heads of family, friends, and co-workers sprouts and grows and lets a little light into the world. Let the bad news find it’s own way. Spread optimism.

All together now.