When
Stuff Happens...
Dear
Associate,
Have
you ever gone through periods where there just seems to be
negative energy invading your space? Things aren't working
out like you'd planned. Bad news coming from all directions.
Even your neighbor's adorable dog is deathly ill?
I
spent Sunday morning with a senior group and heard a laundry
list of physical ailments. Some of my basketball buddies are
out on long-term injuries. One of my favorite speakers was
hospitalized for heart complications. And John, the park maintenance
guy just flipped over on his bicycle just days before his
hernia surgery.
One
neighbor is going through multiple legal matters. Another
is testing for artery and skin problems. And even Denny, the
lovable 7-year old black retriever can't keep food down and
may have bone marrow cancer. (His owner Frieda cried all weekend.)
I've seen Denny in the mornings for the past five years and
he may not show up anymore.
You
get the picture. Sad stuff. I wish there was a way to click
the refresh button.
You
can't prevent sad stuff from happening. But you can guard
against it messing with your mind, body and soul. Even
though negative stuff may "affect" you—the
key is not to allow it to "infect" you.
There
is a huge difference...
If
you go down to your local sushi house to have some tuna, you'd
probably dip it in soy sauce or another condiment to give
it a pleasant flavor. Plain tuna tastes ordinary. Have you
ever wondered why?
The
tuna was born in salty water, grew up in salty water, went
to the prom in salty water, got married in salty water, raised
a family in salty water and was captured in salty water. Why
on earth does it need salty flavoring for it to be tasty?
Because
it was well insulated from its environment. It lives in the
salty blue sea but does not become infected by the salt. You
too could live, work or play in a negative environment and
yet not become infected by its negative energy.
How
you can insulate yourself from a negative environment:
The
power of smiling. When you face tough times there's not
a single, more courageous thing you can do than to smile.
A smile says you wield tremendous inner-strength. That you're
not defeated. That you have faith in something better for
yourself. It also hints that you're not going to cave in to
become another statistic. That you'll somehow bounce back.
Besides,
like attracts like. If you smile, you'll attract happy people.
If you frown, they will avoid you like stale bread.
Secondly,
become that positive voice. Believe it or not, most people
are not searching for the answer. They are looking for an
answer that fits into their scheme of things. I've found it's
better to become agreeable and offer an encouraging word.
Humor and laughter can be the best therapy.
Finally,
celebrate the good. In ourselves. And in others. A good
action-step is to remind yourself of past wins. When some
situation became too much to handle and what you did to overcome
it. This also helps you keep your mind off the negative.
Negativity
is a frame of mind. So is positivity. You get to choose which
one to invest your time in.
Warm
regards,
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