Negativity

Do you know people who, the moment you see them coming, you know they are going to complain about something? How do you handle that? I usually listen, smile, and say nothing. Then I say a silent prayer thanking God that I am not afflicted with those particular self-defeating behaviors (I have my own unique self-defeating behaviors).

Because I am aware of God's presence, God's love, to join in with a chorus of "poor me" would be to ignore, or turn my back on God's love. I believe God wants me to be happy and grateful, to be kind and cheerful to other people, so I am determined to avoid being contaminated with other people's negativity. When I realize that negativity is creeping into my own thoughts or emotions, I "step to the right," to get in touch with the right hemisphere of my brain and thereby enjoy the present moment God has given to me. That's a concept I learned from Jill Bolte Taylor's book My Stroke of Insight.

What do you do when the negative person tells you his "poor me" story? Also, in a similar vein, do you have someone in your life who never fails to find some fault with you, your beliefs, your decisions? It is more difficult to ignore negativity when it is directed toward you. Again, though, as Dr. Taylor writes, we need to remember that "their stuff is their stuff, and our stuff is our stuff." We do not have to let their stuff become our stuff! Listen, smile, walk away, and say a prayer thanking God for all your blessings, including the present moment! It is tempting for a guy like me, who tends to have an outrageous sense of humor, to get sarcastic or otherwise put the person in "their place." But if I refrain, I am usually glad later that I did.