I am so tired of hearing negative news. I realize we are in a pandemic and that millions of people are getting sick and dying. I know that millions of small businesses will never recover. I know these are very dark times, but I want to bury my head in the daisies and see only positive for a day or two.
There are some good news stories out there – I know there are!
But, we live in a very negative society. We talk about what’s wrong with the weather, the government, the boss, and ourselves. We complain about seemingly everything, and it seems much of society wants to play the blame game.
Are you guilty? I certainly can be, and I want to change my ways. I don’t want to point fingers. I want to believe that we will get through this, and on the other side is all sunshine and roses. I know it won’t be as perfect as I would really like it to be, but I also know it won’t be as negative as some people predict.
Is it possible to have one day where we have no negativity at all? I wonder how that would make us feel. I wonder if we can even do it?
[ctt template=”3″ link=”JXZeH” via=”yes” ]Is it possible to have one day where we have no negativity at all?[/ctt]
Here’s our strategy (because I will be joining you on this no-negativity day):
– Pick any day in the next week to be your no-negativity day. You can decide if you want a weekday (and avoid negativity in all your work discussions) or if you’re going to choose a weekend when your time is more under your control. I’m personally picking Saturday because it is just Warren and me at home this weekend, and we are working hard on our house renovations. We are almost done, and I’m determined to see nothing wrong and only the positive of being 98% finished!
– Keep it your little secret. There is no point in announcing to the world that it is your goal to avoid negativity for 24 hours. You just know that you have someone who will make a point of pushing your buttons to get you to say something negative. For them, it is sport; for you, it is pure frustration. Keep your plans to yourself (then if you can’t do it, no one needs to know either).
– Schedule reminders at regular intervals. Maybe you can put a Post-It note with a smiley face on your fridge or regular appointments in your calendar, so it reminds you hourly. Whatever you need to do to remind yourself, this is your no-negativity day!
– Be prepared. You know certain topics will come up. When someone says, “I can’t believe we are having another lockdown. The government is killing small business,” you need to be prepared with your come back (remember, we aren’t negative) such as “I know that I’ve certainly done my part to keep the small business alive.” You are trying to avoid the negative conversation and stay positive. You don’t need to disagree nor agree; you just need to avoid the negative spiral many conversations can start. Knowing the conversations you are likely to have, be prepared for your responses.
– Be willing not to respond. It can be tempting always to respond, but not always the smart thing to do as it causes the conversation to go deeper. Sometimes not being baited into a conversation is the win we need. Decide if this is a conversation you want. If not, change the subject or don’t respond (especially if there are other people in the discussion). It might be a good time to leave the conversation entirely.
– Reward yourself for staying positive. We all have different rewards, but find something that is a positive reward for you. I plan to have a very positive day on Saturday, and my reward (because I know I can do it!) will be a special bottle of red wine to share with Warren on Saturday night.
Avoiding negativity doesn’t mean you need to be Suzy Sunshine all the time. It does mean that you are aware of the conversations you are participating in and their effect on you.
[ctt template=”3″ link=”OtNqG” via=”yes” ]Avoiding negativity doesn’t mean you need to be Suzy Sunshine all the time.[/ctt]
I’m so excited about my Positive Saturday that I might do it Sunday too!
