A positive attitude may not solve all your problems,
But it will annoy enough people
to make it worth the effort.
Jim Hayes
I pretty much have a positive attitude. There are times when it sort of sits in the background when I am “in a mood”. But overall I’m positive and it does annoy some people. One person in particular thinks I am unrealistic in the way I look at life and it does annoy her. I think it’s because she has such a negative attitude. She isn’t negative just some of the time about some things but all of the the time about everything. And it annoys me! Who knows maybe that makes being negative worth the effort for her.
Still I like her and consider her a friend.
Is that crazy or just being normal?
I’m okay with crazy.
I think normal is over-rated.
Photo by vadim-sadovski on Unsplash
Patricia's Place 
There is a clash in our spirits between the negative and the positive. It is hard to be 100% either all the time. I find myself swinging between the two everyday and if it annoys no one else that really annoys me. I so long to be positive and not negative.
No one is 100% positive or negative. I am basically positive but do have negative thoughts and feelings like everyone else. But I recognize when that is happening and do what needs to be done to change my feelings and attitude. Life is a gift, a precious gift, it needs to be treated as such with respect and gratefulness.
Amen!!!
I think normal is over rated too. And frankly, who would it apply to these days anyway. I am always looking at the glass as half full but once in a while will have a slight slip, its acronym…serenity lost its priority. Nice thoughts you had. 🙂
We all slip once in awhile. It’s part of being crazy normal.
An oxymoron that rings so true.
“Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed.” Mary Oliver. I just saw this on a church window. Made me think of you.
Wonderful and so true! Thanks for sharing.
I loved it. It’s from one of her poems. Never heard it before.
I had a negative friend, which I haven’t seen her since the virus. She frequented the same pub we enjoyed before the virus. She was negative about everything and would tear into people for no reason. Sad to say but it got so bad no one wanted to sit next to her so we sat across from her. Many of us tried to be her friend, but it didn’t last long. I found you can’t help those that won’t help themselves. I agree normal is over-rated.
I wonder what negative people think when friends stop spending time with them. Do they question why? Do they have any idea it’s their attitude that turns people away? It’s just sad.
I had a dear friend for many years who as she got older, got darker and darker in her overall view of life. She’d often come for breakfast. One day I suggested for the short time we’d be together, lets talk happy, to quote from the play South Pacific, and well…she never spoke to me again let alone come back for toast and coffee. That rain cloud she lugged was more important I guess. sigh
That’s sad, but her loss.
Yeah…mine too though. You don’t make new friends so easily in your twilight years. Maybe I should have just let her moan and groan. It’s my Pollyanna coming out. She’s quite out of fashion theses days Patricia. sigh
Letting go of a friend for whatever reason is a big loss. They can never be replaced and the older we get the harder it is to make new friends.
Keep Pollyanna close. The world needs her.
She’s becoming more Greta Garbo these days, but not make a cameo, here and there.
You know, I think some people enjoy being that way. With that said, there must be an underlying reason for the negative attitude.
Frankly Eugenia, I think it’s just a bad habit, like biting your nails. It can be reversed if one is determined. I watch what I say, pausing before. Makes a big difference. Words, as you know, have so much power.
I agree, Susannah, and I think through what I am going to say, as well. Words are powerful and can very hurtful.
We always need to use our PAUSE button before our mouths hit play. 🙂
I had a friend who nearly always began a story with a wonderful comment. She talked about the positives while you waited for the “but”. Somehow that last half seemed to erase all the good things. It helped that I tried to analyze her pattern as she spoke so that I wouldn’t be dragged down by the negatives. She’s dead now. I hope all the positives and negatives canceled each other out in the end.
Oh, those “buts” can be troublesome. I wonder why people start out telling a good story and end up with a sad story. Stories are always better with a happy ending. We can hope that she has a happy hereafter.
I’m pretty sure she ended up in a happy place, because she had faith.
🙆♀️
Great last line Anne, though sad.
I hope you help her smile, Patricia. There are some folks that just can’t smile and they see the dark side of everything.
Have a fabulous day and keep up that positive outlook on life. ♥
I try to get a smile from her but it isn’t easy. I can’t imagine staying so miserable. When I was less than happy for a time I went to see a psychologist. Saw her once a week for almost a year. It was amazing the things I learned about my thinking habits. The best money and time I ever spent. Got me to where I am today.
I have had a couple of weird friends (in one way or the other) over the years. As long as they don’t bring me down and are entertaining, I keep them. Once I feel myself catching their negativity, they are gone.
My negative friend is pretty much alone and miserably unhappy. I have rarely seen her smile or ever hear her laugh and I have known her more than 20 years. I have made it my mission to change this. Mission impossible? Maybe, but I am not giving up!