Why Reading These Tips Won’t Make Your Life Better – Knowing & Doing Are Not the Same

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could spend more time feeling optimistic, content, and grateful? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could spend less time feeling stressed, discouraged, and grumpy? I didn’t know it was even possible, much less how to do it, until I discovered Positive Psychology back in 2011.

In the past twelve years, I’ve learned a ton! I’ve read many books, articles, and papers. I’ve taken classes, trainings, and watched videos from experts in this field. I’ve discussed and taught these concepts hundreds, if not thousands, of times. With all this knowledge and information, you would think I would be positive and upbeat most of the time!  Yet, there are still days I struggle.

This brings me to another key thing I’ve realized during my journey; knowing and doing are not the same. I know, I know. . . You’ve heard this before. It’s not new, but the truth of this phrase really hits home for me on those days I’m not “doing” or practicing what I’ve learned.

“Knowledge provides potential, but without action, the potential is never realized.”

That’s why my goal with these weekly tips isn’t just to share information but also to suggest ways you might take action on it. Sometimes that action might be applying the tip in some external way by what you say or do. Other times that action might be applying the tip in some internal way by how you think or feel.

I remember one day, shortly after starting The Positive Edge, I was sitting in a coffee shop with a few new friends. We were discussing ideas related to helping people be more positive when this phrase came to me.

“We need to apply information to situations to get transformation.”

The great news is that our lives are full of situations where we can practice applying the information!

Because I truly want you to experience positive transformation, here’s my suggestion for you this week. Scroll through a few of my weekly tips on my website and choose one that resonates with you right now, with what’s going on in your life today. After you read it, commit to taking action and using it this week.

To browse past positivity tips, visit this page.

Tina Hallis, Ph.D., Positivity Catalyst, speaker, and founder of The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to helping people and organizations improve the quality of people’s work lives and the quality of company cultures.