Positive People make a Tangible Difference!

Post date: 01-Apr-2011 17:17:16

I drove to and from Limerick yesterday for the Tangible Ireland Leadership Seminar. The experience reminded me of a couple of things I already know but are worth being reminded of. The first is that in spite of all our doom and gloom over what we’ve lost in the fall from the dizzy heights of Celtic Tiger boom, part of the legacy which is still large as life is the motorway system which has made day trips to both Belfast and Limerick very swift, pleasant and efficient this week. Arguments about the need for better public transport infrastructure notwithstanding, we didn’t squander all of the boom and we need to use the infrastructure it created to good effect.

The second, and more important reminder was of the absolute benefit of choosing to spend time around positive people. There is a boost in my energy and a spring in my step today which is directly related to having spent time yesterday sharing skills, insights and success stories with an eclectic group of unsung heroes.

The Tangible Ireland seminars always deliver an astonishing range of stories and insights from unexpected sources. Yesterday we were treated to O’Carolan’s Concerto by John Kelly of the Irish Chamber Orchestra as the finale in his inspiring story of succeeding with what others saw as impossible. Pat Carroll, an accountant by trade, gave us some startling numbers to challenge the prevailing impression of recession all around us. Pat O’Sullivan inspired us with the unfolding story of Limerick Football Club in Limerick’s year as European City of Sport. Tim O’Connor share his personal journey from a lifetime of excellence in the Civil Service into his first year as a private sector entrepreneur and gently reminded us that we’re all going to die and we’d better be sure we make the most of the life we have to leave a legacy we can be proud of! And that’s only a fraction of what was shared, learned and discussed in an intensive and high energy afternoon overlooking the river from Limerick City Hall.

As John Gilbert once said “your life is the sum total of the choices you’ve made. If you don’t like your life, make better choices”. So for now, I’m reminded that I choose to be around positive people. People with the discipline and rigour to stay focused on the solution we’re working for and the better future we’re moving towards, even when the surrounding environment is laced with a toxic cocktail of despair, apathy and resignation that the recession is here to stay. I think I’m off to make a new sign for my office door, borrowing from a Jack Canfield quote, “I hear there’s a recession, I choose not to participate.”