Linda Stowe is the writer of today’s blog. We play Wordle and create Wordle stories from our guess words. This one was written a few weeks ago. I think it is too good not to share.
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By Linda Stowe
Years ago, I used to have coffee with a group of coworkers in the school cafeteria before work. There were 10-12 of us from across many departments in the college, and it was a good way to connect with people I would not normally see. The group’s banter was convivial and upbeat which started my workday with a smile. This went on for years.
Then “Sue” started sitting with the group. Sue was not a happy person. Her career had not gone well, mostly because of her personality, so she saw herself as a victim. Sue was the first one to find fault, the first to cast blame. A “glass half-empty” kind of person.
Unfortunately, Sue’s negativity was contagious, and soon others in the group reacted to her gripes and complaints or brought up issues of their own. Sometimes these complaints were about the administration, making those of us who worked in those offices uncomfortable.
Looking back, I wonder why I continued to spend time with this breakfast group each morning. After Sue joined the group, being with them no longer started my day with a smile. Instead, I would trudge up to my office feeling whatever negativity that morning’s discussion had sparked. This went on for several weeks until one day I realized that the group was affecting my whole day. There were some in the group whom I liked very much, but, overall, the tenor of the group had devolved into one of negativity. A couple times a few of us tried to unite and bring the level of the conversation up, but our success was meager and temporary.
So, I stopped having coffee with the group each morning. I missed them, and maybe some of them missed me. Now, years later, I still marvel at how one person could affect the dynamics of the group so profoundly. For years everyone got along so well. And then we didn’t. I suppose there are many people like Sue in the world, people who do not know the pleasure of spending time with good humored friends. Theirs must be a sad, lonely life. What I wonder about is this: why was Sue able to bring out negative feelings in others, but others could not bring out positive feelings in her?
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“Beware of those who are bored and not passionate about life, for they will bore you with reasons for not living.”
― Suzy Kassem
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“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
— Zig Ziglar
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“No matter the amount of negativity you’re presented with, five minutes from now could be your best moment.”
— Mod Sun
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