One of our core values as a company—and something I strive for personally—is to “Stay Positive.” But let me be clear: staying positive doesn’t mean pretending that everything is sunshine and rainbows. It’s not some bumper sticker slogan that says, “If it can go well, it will.”
Life doesn’t work that way.
In my life, plenty of things haven’t gone the way I planned. My guess is that true for you as well. We’ve all had projects fall apart, faced relational challenges, or experienced financial hardships.
But here’s what I’ve learned: staying positive isn’t about the circumstances. Circumstances are unpredictable. Some days, they’ll be fantastic. Other days, they’ll be downright challenging. The key is in the word “stay.” Staying positive means holding onto the right perspective—not because everything is going well, but in spite of what’s going wrong.
At 16 years old, I lost my father suddenly to a unknown heart condition. My immediate response was anger and hurt. I looked around at my friends who still had their dads and felt bitter about what I had lost.
I’ll never forget a conversation that changed everything for me. A friend told me, “I completely understand where you’re coming from. It's hard. I’ve never met my dad and don’t even know if he’s alive, but every time I start to feel bitter about not having a father, I remind myself how grateful I am for my incredible mom.”
That hit me like a ton of bricks. Here I was, angry that I had only 16 years with my dad, while my friend was grateful in spite of not ever having met his dad, but focused instead on a mom who had always been there for him. It was a gut-check moment that made me realize just how powerful our focus can be.
Comparison can be the thief of joy. If we constantly compare ourselves to people who have better— a better family situation, better finances, better opportunities—it’s easy to feel like we’re falling short. But what if we flipped that perspective? If I compare my home to a mansion, I might feel lacking. But if I compare my home to someone who’s homeless, I suddenly feel gratitude for the things I take for granted - like the roof over my head, the air conditioning, the clean water.
For me personally, mindset is also heavily related to my personal faith. If I believe there is a Creator that’s in control, then my staying positive is also trusting that no matter what comes, God is still in control.
That’s why Staying Positive is something we intentionally teach to every new team member, and something we revisit throughout the year. It’s not about ignoring reality—it’s about choosing the perspective that makes us grateful for what we have instead of bitter about what we don’t.
So, where in your life do you need a shift in perspective? Because circumstances will always change—but our mindset? That’s something we get to control.