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2015 was definitely a trying year for me; not only because of some of the things that I experienced, but also because of some of the negative people that I allowed into my life. I found myself around people who were literally always upset and angry about every little thing. Whether it was work, school or just something as simple as missing the bus during their morning commute, they'd become infuriated at the drop of a dime. Over time, I became this type of person without even noticing.


One of my roommates specifically was always mad at everyone and everything. I can't count how many times I tried to calm her down after a big blow up about absolutely nothing. It got to the point where I started harboring the same feelings and letting every situation take the best of me. I started to live with a dark cloud above me, always looking at the glass half empty. Everyday I felt like I was waking up on the wrong side of the bed to the point where I just sat around feeling sorry for myself and felt like there was nothing good for me to look forward to. After months of living life like a "Negative Nancy," I knew it was time for a change. I began to slowly replace every negative with a positive.

Today I can say I'm much happier because of it, and so are the people around me. Negative Nancy's not only impacts the people closest to them, that negative energy can be easily passed on to a complete stranger who is in your presence for no more than a minute.

One day, I'm on the bus heading to NYC from DC when suddenly it breaks down in Delaware. The driver, who barely speaks English, informed us that we'd have to wait until a bus came from Philly so we could switch buses and get back on the road to NYC. Most of us remained calm and just grabbed food at the rest stop, mainly because it was early in the morning, and unfortunately that's the chance you take when hopping on the Chinabus. One woman though decided to complain the whole hour and a half that we had to wait. She was calling people back to back on the phone telling them the “story" and interrogated the bus driver in between phone calls.

She repeatedly said to whomever she was speaking to on the phone, “Everyone seems to be unfazed by it. I knew it was something wrong with this bus from the beginning. I knew this would happen with me taking this bus."

After a while I was beginning to get annoyed by her, and I could tell other people were too. People were literally moving their seats on the bus to get away from her, and turning up their music in their headphones. What she didn't realize, or couldn't understand rather, was that we were “un-phased" by the bus breaking down, because we didn't have any control over it. We weren't about to roll up our sleeves and fix the bus, or grab our things and walk the rest of the way to NYC, so what use was there in complaining? NONE. None at all.

There are so many things to be grateful for, so why choose to live life as a negative Nancy? Before you decide to see the negative in everything, take these things into consideration:

If you replace every negative thought with a positive one, it WILL manifest

That same energy that you put into being negative can be used to see the silver lining in every situation. Practice this on a daily basis, and I promise you that your outlook on life will begin to slowly shift.

There's no need to complain about what you can't change

It simply doesn't make any sense. Why even bother with stressing yourself and everyone around you over something that's out of your control? Stay focused on things that you can actively fix, and leave the rest up to God. Trust me, it will lift a weight off of your shoulders.

Taking ownership can really get down to the root of the perceived problem

Mad because you missed your bus? Wake up a little earlier. Didn't get the promotion that you wanted at work? Don't be upset; work a little harder. Blaming all of your problems on everyone and everything besides yourself will never resolve anything.

You shouldn't Sweat the Small Stuff

Sometimes the things that we complain about are so trivial. In the instance of my bus ride, we could have ended up in an accident or something; being stuck at a rest stop with food, a bathroom and some fresh air was nothing to complain about at all. Remember, sometimes it's just not that deep!

What are some ways you're getting rid of the negativity in your life? We'd love to hear from you!

 

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