On spending time with positive people...

Post date: 28-Aug-2013 21:04:55

I spent three days last week chairing and participating in the Tangible Ireland Summer School. It was interesting, challenging, heartening, stimulating and fun! It also reminded me, in a very tangible way (forgive the word play) of the inestimable value of spending time around positive people. Bear in mind that when I say "positive", I do not mean rose spectacled Pollyanna types who are relentlessly cheerful no matter what the circumstances. For me, positive people are those who consistently look for, and focus on, solutions to whatever problems or challenges they encounter.

So it was that over the course of three days I had glimpses into the numerous ways people are working to help others achieve more of their potential. Be that through leadership with Anthony McCann, Empowerment with Eve Earley or culture change with Eoin Barry. I was heartened by Caherina Casey’s story of success and new challenges in connecting the global Irish through our shared cultural heritage and by Brian O’Boyce’s perspective on some of the excellence within our health services. I was intrigued by Gerry O’Sullivan’s story of a Limerick man in the Shanghai police...perhaps enough to buy the book! I was grounded by Stephen McNulty’s focus on the numbers and Robert Baker’s analysis of the opportunities out there. I was inspired by Chris Gordon’s ideas, passion and energy and by John Webb O’Rourke’s relentless drive and positive focus in the face of obstacles. I was called to action by Donagh McKeown and his timely initiative to encourage all of us to talk about mental well being. And to finish it all off Alan Gallagher showed us how we can all play our part with passion, positivity and connections to the global Irish network.

So I am celebrating my good fortune to have (or create) opportunities to spend time around other positive people and I am reminded of the value of this to my own mental wellbeing. Of course I can’t claim that this is a new insight, indeed I know it so well that it features on my essential tool kit! Nonetheless it is an insight worth refreshing on a regular basis and, after last weeks interactions I am certainly facing into September thoroughly refreshed!