Did anyone try and not be negative the other day? Did you really focus on only making positive statements? Were you able to successfully avoid making negative statements? Did it seem to make any difference? If yesterday wasn’t different for you, I would contend that you didn’t try our little experiment. I know that several of you tried it because you emailed me to say that you were joining me in the effort.

Actually, there is research to support the notion that positive conversation makes a difference. Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, says a positive company with a positive corporate culture will outperform its negative counterparts every time. And in his book, The Energy Bus, author Jon Gordon cites a study by Martin Seligman that proved that positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic salespeople. And, according to Gordon, there are several studies that show that positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges, and adversity.

If you didn’t start yet, how about starting today?