Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What I Know About: Eliminating the Negative

♪ You gotta "accentuate the positive... and ♫ ♪eliminate the negative"♪ that is how that old song goes right? That Johnny Mercer must be some kind of genius!

As usual's my phone has been ringing off the hook and my e-mail box is filled with friends that are pissed of about one thing or another. They are calling me crying, or cussing people out. Por Que dear friends? This is all for not! The targets of your cuss out's don't care. Your tears are not making anyone listen more than usual, or pay a bill on time.

My advice to you is; when you are faced with the negative, find a way to eliminate it from the situation, especially if you do not have the strength to handle it right now. Personally I am tapped out. I am a mother, a daughter, a boss, and employee a sister, a friend and God knows what else. I have to cook, clean, pay bills, blog........ I do not really have time or energy for anything that is not;
  • Positive
  • Uplifting
  • Constructive
  • Lucrative
  • Relaxing
  • Funny

I have enough of the other stuff to contend with, and problems can be solved without all of that nonsense! How do I know, you ask? I have recently tested the theory myself.

So I was riding in the car with "Someone" the other night. Moments before we arrived near my house he said something that really upset me. Something that was not relaxing, constructive or funny, when I realized something... Wait a minute, this is my car! So I pulled over and told him to get out. I did not yell, I just demanded respectfully that he GET OUT OF MY CAR PLEASE. In my mind, my car is a peaceful place, and unless I gave birth to you, you are just not allowed to clutter peaceful sanctuary on wheels with bad vibes.

What!! we were only a few blocks away.

Then guess what happened... I drove home parked in my driveway, and sat on my couch until the doorbell rang. I went to the door and welcomed in a sort of cold, much more humble jerk of a man. He of course came bearing an apology, a sort of lame explanation but overall a better attitude.

In my experience this approach also works over the phone, in e-mail. You do not need to stand there, sit there, read or listen that garbage. Just ♪ accentuate the positive... ♫Eliminate the negative.