INFECTIOUS POSITIVITY

We had been riding for five hours when we lost the trail. We were forced to cross a swollen river a dozen times and then bushwhack through reed-choked river banks. Several of my team of ten riders were inexperienced, and we were all getting scratched up and frustrated. Some even started talking about turning back. Luckily, we had the consummate optimist on our team and were finally able to successfully traverse the 16 miles of Utah’s Little Grand Canyon.

I have known Josh Anderson since he was a boy. He is my son’s best friend, and I can honestly say I have never seen him down. He certainly has had many reasons to be, including the trial of losing an eye to cancer. On the ride, his positive attitude became contagious. On the drive home, I asked him to share his pictures. They were all like this one, showing his amazing gift to get humans and even horses to mimic his upbeat attitude.

Today, “Pollyanna” usually has a negative connotation, referring to someone who is naïve. However, the dictionary definition is “a person with irrepressible optimism and a tendency to find good in everything.”  In the children’s classic, Pollyanna is an orphan girl who transforms her aunt’s negative attitude along with that of an entire New England town simply by constantly playing the “glad game” of finding something to be glad about in every situation.

The next time I am asked to lead a challenging expedition, be it another horse adventure or a business transformation, I’m going to make sure I have at least one Pollyanna on my team. Because when things get rough, the resilience and positivity they exude will spread.