Have you ever been around someone who has a frown carved into their face and they reek of negativity like a drunk reeks of alcohol? If you say black, they will say white. You see the glass as as half full and they see it as half empty. I work with a manager who falls into this category. When I see her, I want to run in the other direction.
I hung a poster like the one shown outside my office door, hoping Ms. Negative would see it and it would have an affect on her. To this day, I don’t believe she even noticed the poster. Her employees are begging other managers to help them find jobs in their departments, and she walks around like everything is fine. There’s constant drama in the office, and guess who is always in the middle of it.
It’s so bad that I refused to ride with her on a business trip. I didn’t want to be stressed out before we reached our destination. I have wondered if people with this mind set are aware of the devastation that they leave behind when they exit a room, a party or any social interaction. I know this lady is miserable and unhappy with herself and her life, and I should have compassion, but I find it hard to feel anything except dread and nausea when I see her. I am a strong woman emotionally, and for the most part I am able to keep my emotions in check, but I have found someone who literally makes me sick.
Rather than allow Miss Negative to affect my health and bring me down, I knew that I had to come up with a method to ward off her devastation and the sign of the cross or a voodoo doll would not be sufficient. I thought of using a baseball bat to put her out of her misery, but the thought of me being handcuffed and dragged off to the pokey ended that quickly. Besides, I’m not a violent person. The perfect solution came to me, a smile. I knew that she wouldn’t understand it, but it would help me get through the days when I had to interact with her.
Smiling has been shown to improve one’s health. It helps reduce stress and you’re seen as a more attractive person. Personally, I feel better when I’m smiling and I see myself as an attractive person. Additional benefits are:
- Reduces your blood pressure.
- Reduces stress.
- Changes your mood.
- It’s contagious
- Boosts your immune system
- Produces a positive attitude
- Draws other people to you.
Be sure to start your day with a smile. It’s very becoming. Leave us a comment and let us know how you deal with negative people.
