Let me tell you about a surprising experience that seems to me to illustrate the impact of the power of a positive outlook and positive words and which may transform your onboarding when taking on a new role.
During the lockdown, during a Zoom meeting with friends, one of the participants sent me a video about an experiment in Japan on the topic of the power of words that I was very interested in. Dr Masaru Emoto, a doctor of alternative medicine, carried out studies on the mysteries of water. He discovered that crystals behaved differently according to whether the water was exposed to either positive or negative vibrations. One of his experiments involved soaking a handful of rice in three glasses. For one month, he addressed each glass differently: to the first glass he said, thank you; to the second: you are an idiot: and to the third he said nothing, he completely ignored it. After one month, guess what? the first glass, to which he had been saying thank you had started to ferment and gave off a pleasant aroma. The rice in the second glass had turned black; and the rice that was ignored had begun to rot.
The words and the plants
This made me want to experiment with an orchid that had been in my kitchen for a year and which was practically dead even though it had been properly cared for. I put the orchid in the center of the kitchen and every day I looked at it lovingly and addressed it with very kind words. Guess what? After 15 days a new leaf emerged and grew incredibly well. Now, few months later, two new leaves have started to grow.
The impact of a positive outlook
I was so delighted by this experiment that I decided to try another one, but this time with my 5½ year old mare with whom I had a somewhat complicated relationship, consisting of a lot of tension and some serious falls. She is a mare with a strong character who we have owned since she was one year old.
Everything was difficult with her, I was really uncomfortable, to the point where it was no longer a pleasure for me to take care of her and ride her. We were on the verge of selling her, and at that moment a great sadness came over me when I thought about letting her go after so many years of investment and emotional attachment. That is when I decided to change my outlook on her, put aside all apprehension (which was not easy having been thrown off her so many times), to look at her with a lot of love, kindness and without judgment … And guess what?
A few days later she was willing to be handled, she responded to my instructions and was much more respectful … and the icing on the cake, a few weeks ago, when she was sunbathing in her paddock, she even fell asleep lying with her head on my legs, trustingly…. A simply magical moment.
And all this thanks to a positive outlook towards her, the vibrations of which she was able to capture due to the natural sensitivity of horses.
The energy we transmit to others
These two great experiences were only possible because I was in harmony with my inner being, listening to my emotions and more available to others.
The lesson that I draw from this is that our energy is there, present all the time, making our thoughts, whether positive or negative, vibrate, whether we like it or not.
We live in an increasingly hyperactive world, focused on productivity and performance in search of immediate results, and we forget to see and listen to ourselves. Have you ever taken the time to perceive the level of energy that you are sending to others? Or how you feel in the presence of others?
Have you ever noticed that genuinely positive words and thoughts generate confidence, develop and fulfill your employees and create value for the organization? Just as negative words and thoughts spoil the mood, destroy confidence, destabilize and fuel limiting beliefs?
In all situations but in particular in a process of onboarding in a new job, what benefits can we expect from better listening (to oneself and to others), a positive outlook on people and existing things, and greater kindness towards others?
If you have similar experiences or comments, do not hesitate to share them with us. We will be delighted to hear from you.