How do you stay positive when surrounded with negativity?


I have found that you can’t always choose who you have are surrounded with or control what they say.   For example, you can’t choose your co-workers or the family that loves you.  But there are times when people say things with good intention without realizing that they are bringing you down emotionally.  It is a difficult situation to be around and unfortunately, I am faced with this problem frequently.  My solution you ask?  I choose my attitude!  What does that mean?  No one but yourself can choose how you feel; no one can change how you feel.  That is one of the most powerful things that we have control over.  So what do you do?  How do you choose your attitude?  Do what you gotta do, walk away from the conversation, change the conversation, tune them out, take a deep breath, say to yourself, “stay positive” or “choose your attitude”.  Do what works for you. 

You can also try to be honest with the person and tell them that you don’t appreciate where the conversation is taking you and you don’t want to talk about it.  However, I have found that when people are negative, that is just who they are and we can’t change that.  Now, it doesn’t mean that negative people are bad or evil; they just have a different demeanor than the one we strive for, and that’s ok.  

Pollyanna point: Choose your attitude!

One rule of thumb I try to live by,

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." 

According to Richard Wiseman, a professor in the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in Britain,

Only about 10% of life is purely random; the remaining 90% is defined by the way we think. Our attitudes produce our luck.

One of my first ah-ha moments was when I was in high school.  I had a friend who I felt was always lucky.  For example, we went to a concert and they were throwing t-shirts into the audience.  I was the type of person that would wait for that t-shirt to land in my hands.  After all, if it was meant to be, it was meant to be.  Ofcourse, my friend ended up catching the t-shirt and I went home empty handed thinking she was so lucky to have caught that t-shirt.

One day I saw a report on t.v. about people who are lucky.  As it turns out, people who we consider lucky are simply people who know what they want and go for it.  So as it turns out, my friend didn't catch that t-shirt out of fate.  She knew what she wanted, reached out for it and caught it. 

Pollyanna point: So next time you want something, don't wait around for it to land on your lap, get up and reach for it!