Welcome to the world of Positive Alacrity.
a·lac·ri·ty
/əˈlakrədē/ noun
the intentional practice of creating small, uplifting moments for others (and yourself) by voicing positive thoughts and acting with cheerful readiness
A Harvard study conducted over 75 years has discovered that the most critical contributor to finding fulfillment is having deep, meaningful relationships. Things like healthy interactions with those who are family or intimate friends are vital. In a nutshell, close, loving relationships make us happy, healthy and fulfilled.
How do you go about creating those relationships and thereby gain fulfillment and satisfaction in your life?
Positive alacrity is a tool that will ultimately unlock our current relationships and take them to the next level.
What Goes Wrong in Relationships
When polled, people from all walks of life pinpointed several reasons why relationships fail. They include:
- Unmet expectations
- Lack of Communication
- Lack of Commitment
- Emotional distance
Perhaps all these issues are at least partially due to our hectic modern world. We assume relationships will still be viable when we get around to interacting with the other person. There’s always something urgent to do. In our truly disordered society, work and family obligations leave little time for relaxation, let alone maintaining healthy relationships.
We can’t just blame the problem on our work taking over our personal lives, though. Work relationships take up just as much time and effort as personal ones. Often, especially when attempting to grow a business, we tend to ignore the current loyal customers because we’re too busy trying to attract new ones. Or we’re not cultivating the relationships we need through networking, which keeps us from moving on to the next level of our career path.
Business or personal, relationships take work and effort, and they need to be cultivated and tended to (just like Growing a Garden), or they grow stale and stagnate.
What is Positive Alacrity
Positive alacrity is defined as generating micro-experiences that cause others to feel uplifted and appreciated. Let’s look at some examples of what we mean by this:
- A text to let a friend who’s having a hard time know you’re thinking of them right now.
- A handwritten note to a spouse telling them that you appreciate all they do to make your life easier.
- A pat on the back and a thank you to a work colleague who has gone the extra mile.
You can view positive alacrity as random acts of kindness to people you care about, not just strangers.
The Power of Positive Alacrity
Sadly, we are often less amenable to our family and friends when we are hurried or stressed. When was the last time you sniped at a loved one in a way you’ve never considered with an acquaintance?
Developing the habit of making micro-experiences for others is a way to love them and yourself. After all, deep, meaningful relationships are not just about knowing someone. By taking the time to ensure others know you genuinely care through small, purposeful actions, you safeguard a more fulfilling life for yourself, as well as for them.
Positive alacrity impacts you, your relationship, and the other person.
People Respond in Positive Ways
If you’ve ever taken out the garbage when it wasn’t your turn, you know what we mean. Doing something small like this when a spouse or child is having a stressful time shows them you care deeply about them. Also in this hectic and hurried world today, far too often we forget to PRAISE others, not just for big things but also for the small wins. Many times, that is even MORE impactful
They Think More of You and the Relationship
Practicing random acts of kindness with your loved ones makes them feel safe and secure in the relationship. They know they’ll be able to count on you when they need support. In the long run, it’s the relationships that benefit most. Positive Alacrity quickly becomes the very building blocks on which the rest of the relationship is built.
You Feel Better
It feels good to know you made someone’s day. Interestingly enough, you also find yourself thinking more positive things about yourself.
When you participate in positive alacrity, you also spread love and joy around the world, not just in your relationships. When we feel happy, we tend to pass that feeling on to others. We can make a positive change in the world, just by strengthening our relationships through positive alacrity.
When putting positive alacrity into action, you’ll start to see a difference in how you interact with everyone. You’ll start noticing more opportunities to use it. In short, you’re training yourself to look for moments where you can bring a positive word into someone else’s life. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
