By Adrienne Dobson, VP of Operations

Whether they’re a coworker, friend, or family member, everyone knows someone who carries with a negative attitude. You can count on these people to always tell you how stressed they are, how hard they’re working, or how nothing ever goes their way. In fact, when something optimistic or positive comes out of their mouths, it almost catches you off guard, doesn’t it? Or maybe you don’t know anyone like this… In that case, are YOU this person?

Though I am absolutely not without empathy, more and more I find myself growing impatient with negativity. When faced with a problem, what is your first reaction? Do you whine and gripe, or maybe procrastinate and hope someone else will jump in and do the work for you? Do you sulk around, waiting for sympathy from others or a fellow negative nancy to commiserate with you? OR do you accept the reality of the problem, and make a decision to do your best to solve it? This isn’t even an argument of optimism versus pessimism; you may have a very big problem on your hands. But regardless of the potential outcome, the difference is in how you approach it. When something goes wrong, I fail to see how whining about it will make a difference. Most likely, it’ll make it worse, because no one wants to work with a crybaby. Do you know who I would rather be around? Someone constructive, positive, helpful, and willing to take on a challenge. Obviously it helps to be competent and qualified, but even then, a positive attitude can be an even bigger contributor.

So think about the people you surround yourself with, either by choice or obligation, and think about whether you are a positive or negative influence in their lives. Regardless of what you were up until now, make a choice to be better.