On working toward being a more positive person
I admire people who are overwhelmingly positive. I'm also slightly annoyed at them because life doesn't always work out as planned and stuff goes wrong... right?
I wouldn't say that I'm negative. I'm optimistic toward things like my plans, and people who have a track record of getting the results they want, or finding a way to persevere through adversity. But I often complain about people who don't put their best effort forth, and despite my own growth of having more patience than I used to, I'm finding that my complaining hasn't helped anyone, especially me.
I often enjoy complaining in a comedic fashion in an ability to share a funny story, but I wonder if I can still share funny stories that are not mostly me complaining about how certain people are not doing their best or getting the task done that they've been hired to do.
The news these days is entirely too click-baity and lacks substance regardless of political bent. Some of the subreddits I subscribed to boil down to "this person is being mean/stupid/ignorant to others and our comments point that out and make fun of them." I've gotten rid of those now. I found that they weren't helping my mood or allowing me to a better person. After all, I think I already have a fair amount of manners, based on the fact that I seem to continue to make friends and acquaintances.
If I want to be a more positive person, I need to consume and produce positive material. I can start by cutting out all the things that I read and don't find helpful or positive. I can also adopt a more 'water off a duck's back' attitude about having to deal with people who aren't doing well and aren't also helping themselves by using tools that shore up their weaknesses. And, I can produce more positive content, either expressly positive, or by accomplishing things and sharing the output with others.
I've already done step one - I've gotten rid of the news sites and subreddits that were dragging me down. The other steps I'll work on as I am exposed to opportunities to practice.
I wouldn't say that I'm negative. I'm optimistic toward things like my plans, and people who have a track record of getting the results they want, or finding a way to persevere through adversity. But I often complain about people who don't put their best effort forth, and despite my own growth of having more patience than I used to, I'm finding that my complaining hasn't helped anyone, especially me.
I often enjoy complaining in a comedic fashion in an ability to share a funny story, but I wonder if I can still share funny stories that are not mostly me complaining about how certain people are not doing their best or getting the task done that they've been hired to do.
The news these days is entirely too click-baity and lacks substance regardless of political bent. Some of the subreddits I subscribed to boil down to "this person is being mean/stupid/ignorant to others and our comments point that out and make fun of them." I've gotten rid of those now. I found that they weren't helping my mood or allowing me to a better person. After all, I think I already have a fair amount of manners, based on the fact that I seem to continue to make friends and acquaintances.
If I want to be a more positive person, I need to consume and produce positive material. I can start by cutting out all the things that I read and don't find helpful or positive. I can also adopt a more 'water off a duck's back' attitude about having to deal with people who aren't doing well and aren't also helping themselves by using tools that shore up their weaknesses. And, I can produce more positive content, either expressly positive, or by accomplishing things and sharing the output with others.
I've already done step one - I've gotten rid of the news sites and subreddits that were dragging me down. The other steps I'll work on as I am exposed to opportunities to practice.
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