As a positive dog trainer I am constantly sharing the benefits reward based training has on a dog. Training your dog in a positive manner is not only more effective but does wonders to a dog’s mind, body and soul. However, today I want to share notes from John Gordon’s The Positive Dog because positive training can also do wonders to a human’s soul. Here are a few benefits he shares on positivity.

The Benefits of Positivity
and Cost of Negativity
Benefits of Being Positive:
- Positive people live longer. In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived an average of 10 years longer than those who didn’t (Snowdon, 2001).
- Positive work environments outperform negative work environments (Goleman, 2011).
- Positive, optimistic salespeople sell more than pessimistic salespeople (Seligman, 2006).
- Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure (Institute of HeartMath, 2012).
- Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5-to-1 ratio of positive to negative interactions, whereas when the ratio approaches 1-to-1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce (Gottman, 1999).
- Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges, and adversity.”
- Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture, which helps them identify solutions, whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems (Fredrickson, 2009).
- Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time.
- Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level (Institute of HeartMath, 2012).
- Positive people have more friends, which is a key factor of happiness and longevity (Putnam, 2000).
- Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace.
The Cost of Negativity:
- Ninety percent of doctor visits are stress related, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- A study found that negative employees can scare off every customer they speak with—for good (Rath, 2004).
- At work, too many negative interactions compared to positive interactions can decrease the productivity of a team, according to Barbara Fredrickson’s research at the University of Michigan.
- Negativity affects the morale, performance, and productivity of our teams.
- One negative person can create a miserable office environment for everyone else.
- Robert Cross’s research at the University of Virginia demonstrates that 90 percent of anxiety at work is created by 5 percent of one’s network—the people who sap energy.
- Negative emotions are associated with decreased life span and longevity.
- Negative emotions increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Negativity is associated with greater stress, less energy, and more pain.
- Negative people have fewer friends.
Excerpt From The Positive Dog
-Jon
To learn more about Jon Gordon and his work go to
How do you stay positive?