A Secret of Success in Reviewing and Life
27 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Reviewing
Optimistic people live longer and enjoy greater success. They have lower blood pressure and produce less stress hormones. Being negative increases the possibility of poor health. Many diseases have their root in a negative emotion. That doesn’t mean that a person with a positive attitude will never get sick, it just means it is less likely.
In my over ten years of reviewing at amazon.com I’ve rarely read a book on success that didn’t mention the benefits of having a positive attitude. It is truly one of the secrets to success. However it is not easy to go against the grain. I’ve often had to fight for my right to look on the bright side.
In a negative world it is easy to succumb to despair. You really have to make a commitment to seeing life in a new way. It will be difficult at first especially if you are depressed. With practice you can incrementally improve from day to day. You may find you have more success if you practice gratitude on a daily basis.
One of the ways I stay positive is by writing reviews. I’ve taught myself to only review three-, four- and five-star items. That doesn’t mean I won’t be honest if I find some fault in the book. It just means my overall message will not be negative.
Being in a sunny frame of mind takes more effort than being pessimistic. You have to begin to see the blessings and avoid being a curse. This may mean that you have to reject a book nicely instead of reading it and writing a scathing report.
There is a place for negativity and it can definitely help customers make better purchasing decisions. I myself will often read negative one- and two-star reviews before I buy a book. Then if I hate a movie or book I also tend to read the negative reviews. I just hate writing them because they put me in a bad mood. Some reviewers have said that I’m letting others do the dirty work. The truth is I personally cannot live happily when I write negative reviews. At one point it bothered me so much I couldn’t sleep and had to ceremoniously delete all my one- and two-star reviews. Once this was accomplished I felt better and could sleep without fear of retaliation.
When posting a negative review we often seem to forget that a human being will be now struggling with our negativity. Imagine the difference when someone is overjoyed by our positive blessing. If you want to make the world a friendlier place try a dose of positive reinforcement and remember that kindness counts.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too positive. Start looking for books that promote a positive lifestyle and review those types of books instead of books that make you upset, angry or negative in some way. You may notice that now your comments on your reviews are mostly positive. Of course there will be days when even being positive can create a negative response but I’ve found that to be rare. You can’t please everyone so you might as well please yourself. I’ve made the decision to be positive and it has brought me happiness. I wish the same for you!
What do you think? I look forward to your comments.
