Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer

Author | Speaker | Organizational Psychologist

My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.

Posts Links

Is theft really a bad thing?

Reader, thanks for inviting me back to your inbox. Because we've been hanging out for a while, you know how much I value the community I've found through the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU). These thought leaders and exceptional practitioners continue to inspire and uplift me. And it only seems right for me to share that with the world. That is why I am stealing the words of Dr. Cree Scott for this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark, HOPE. STOP 🛑 Don't assume you know about hope and can stop...

5 days ago • 2 min read

Is your inner renegade big or small?

Reader, don't believe anyone who tells you being a renegade is bad. Recently, I took the stage in Indianapolis to deliver my 5-minute micro talk that would disrupt the thinking in the room. Sometimes being the renegade voice is necessary to snap a system out of complacency. I so firmly believe in this message that I am asking you to click the button below and watch the talk to propel it to the website's most-watched list. Click here and watch now It is also the inspiration for this week's...

12 days ago • 1 min read

Do you have an anchor in your future?

Reader, here's why and how to cast your anchor. Dr. Michael Steger leads the Center for Meaning and Purpose. At the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU), he shared some shocking information: "Modern economies satisfy people... but they wither Meaning & Purpose and amplify desperation." His call to action to identify your purpose inspired this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark, PURPOSEFUL. When you are purposeful, you operate from purpose. Which begs the question -- what is your purpose? Citizens...

19 days ago • 1 min read

Overall how satisfied are you?

Reader, the answer to this question could add years to your life. Meet Lord Richard Layard, an activist and researcher striving to influence governments around the world to make the happiness of their citizens the measure of national wellbeing, not GDP. His research shows that one simple question is all that is required: "On a scale of 1-5, overall, how satisfied are you with your life?" This question inspired this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark, SATISFACTION. His findings, by the way, are one...

26 days ago • 1 min read

Feeling lost?

Reader, do you believe being lost can be fabulous? This thesis was presented by Ally Klymenko at the World Happiness Summit. And it is the inspiration for this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark, which is BECOMING. Ally is a Ukrainian activist and creator of a free education program to teach resilience to her compatriots. Last year, she took the WOHASU stage to tell the story of her work and its impact on well-being as people faced the realities of war. Asked to return this year, she felt lost and...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

The secret currency for a richer life

Hey Reader are you interested in being richer? This week's #ShowUpPositive Spark is HAPPINESS. I have been on a three-week hiatus, which kicked off with the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU) in London. These two days were filled with speaker after speaker dripping wisdom and hope. So, I am going to take a few weeks to share some of my favorite insights with you, starting with the opening keynote speaker, Arthur Brooks. Love and happiness are the secret currency of life. As our experiences of...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

What if it is about you?

Hey Reader -- You are right, and I am about to prove it. This week's #ShowUpPositive Spark is GROWTH. You may be one of the many corporate workers currently going through an annual performance review or writing your personal development plan for 2024. Perhaps you were given an assessment to identify your strengths and deficits. Consider this parable as you think about your future and the growth you want to achieve. The Animal School (a retelling from the original by George Reavis) Once upon a...

2 months ago • 2 min read

Is this me??

Hey Reader -- You're killing it! Already, you are demonstrating this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark BELONGING. Belonging is about acceptance (you said yes when invited to subscribe to this email) and inclusion (you value this email enough that you've opened and read it). 😍 And I've extended belonging to you by inviting you to this weekly ritual of information sharing and giving thoughtful consideration to your needs and interests in crafting the content I share. See, Reader, we have a perfect...

2 months ago • 1 min read

Go take a leap!

Hey Reader -- Fun fact: leap year occurs in each year that is a multiple of 4 (except for years evenly divisible by 100, but not by 400). 🤣🤣🤣 that last part about divisible by 100 but not 400 is hilarious 🤣🤣🤣 Despite this, we are honoring February 29th this week by making this week's #ShowUpPositive Spark LEAP. And specifically, I want to challenge you to make a "Leap of Faith" this week--taking a chance without solid assurance or guarantees of the outcome, requiring courage and belief in...

3 months ago • 1 min read

Can you hear me now?

Hey Reader -- Thanks for having me in your inbox. This week's #ShowUpPositive Spark is AMPLIFY. Last week we focused on finding the 10% that is right in the perspectives of others. This week, we build on this by finding it and then magnifying and strengthening it. Here's a simple example: Original statement: what the customer is asking for won’t work, and we should tell them no. Amplify statement: I like that you are positioning us as experts to the customer. If we offered them a better...