Do you find it easy or difficult to stay positive when you’re right in the middle of a lousy situation?
Recently, I participated in an outdoor festival for my other brand. I’ve been doing festivals for the past couple of years, and fortunately, most have been successful.
This one?
Not so much.
Actually, it officially took the number one spot as my worst festival ever.
I had concerns about attendance before signing up, but after talking with the organizers, I was reassured that it was a well-attended event with thousands of people and returning vendors.
Once I arrived, things looked a little different.
Several vendors I spoke with were there for the first time, pedestrian traffic was low, and within the first couple of hours, I knew it wasn’t going to be the day I had hoped for.
I could have spent the rest of the event irritated and focused on the money I was losing.
Instead, I decided that if I was going to be there all day, I was going to make the best of it.
I talked with other vendors and tried to send customers their way. I handed out business cards. I made people laugh. I introduced new people to my brand. I let people know where they could find my products locally.
And, of course, I pet several dogs—which always makes a day better.
Was the event suddenly a success?
No.
I lost money, and I was disappointed. I’ll even admit that I was a little bitter about how the event had been represented.
But staying positive doesn’t mean pretending a lousy situation isn’t lousy.
That’s where Zenatude comes in.
Zenatude is seeing the positive in yourself, others, and the situations around you.
Sometimes that means simply asking yourself:
What IS going well instead of only focusing on what ISN’T?
That day, I met new people. I created brand exposure. I supported other small businesses. I made people laugh. And I walked away having learned something from the experience.
None of those things erase the financial loss.
But the financial loss doesn’t erase those things either.
Both can be true.
We don’t always get to choose the situation we find ourselves in. But we can choose our reaction—and how much space we allow a disappointment to take up in our heads after it’s over.
So the next time something doesn’t go the way you hoped, acknowledge it. Be disappointed if you’re disappointed.
Then ask yourself:
What IS going well right now?
Sometimes finding that one thing is enough to help you move forward.
Stop waiting. Start choosing. That’s Zenatude.