There are two kinds of people: those who believe they make things happen.  The other believes the world happens to them. At PalletOne, we want to help you to believe you “happen to the world.”

A University of Florida psychologist Tim Judge has studied those who believe they “happen to the world” and discovered they get better results:

They sell more.

They give better service.

They adjust to change better.

Judge refers to those “happening to the world” as empowered. He says the “empowered” people differ from disempowered people by how they act when things are uncertain or tough. He notes the empowers take the “anxiety” which accompanies challenge and double their actions to make it better.

1. Empowered people expect and prepare for change.

They know when it’s good it will be challenged. When it’s worse, it can get better. In either case, they feel fully capable of responding. Change is a given.

2. Empowered people focus on their freedom to act as compared to lamenting the limitations they face.

There was a fire near Bartow this week. 5,000 acres burned. Homes lost. Recreational venues damaged.

There are videos on Facebook describing the damage.  What struck me were all the people who were out there cleaning up and getting ready to repair the damage. The fire was still smoldering, but those happening to the world were getting to work rather than wringing their hands. The outcome of the fire was sad. The future is ahead. Cleaning up and rebuilding is happening to the world.

3. Rewrite your script.

When anxiety rises, it can be easy to imagine all the bad outcomes. The “empowered” write a better story and act to make that story possible.

Every one of us has a history where what we feared didn’t turn out to be true. When we reflect upon it, many times the negative outcome didn’t occur because of the action that was taken to overcome the fear.

Empowered people remember how they have “happened to the world” in the past, draw confidence from that memory and set out to do it again.

4. Empowered people block out negative self-talk.

Empowered people pay attention to what’s being said in their head. When it turns negative, they turn it off and start talking in a positive manner. This is purposeful, intentional effort. Don’t feed the voice that says you can’t. Feed the voice that says you can.

5. Empowered people are appreciative.

They maintain an attitude of gratitude. Their maturity points them to the opportunity. Their gratitude allows them to reflect on what is going well. Appreciative folks seem to keep moving forward.

Empowerment is a mental toughness of itself. It’s a toughness that reminds us to stay positive, believe in yourself and your team. If you do that, good things happen.