Be Positive Without Being Annoying
It's a tricky thing to be positive in this world without annoying people. I frequently get comments like "How can you be so positive all the time? That would drive me crazy." (Translation: You're driving me crazy and I don't want to be positive.)Yeah, I get it. And it happens like this. Someone is having a bad day. I try to cheer them up (usually without being asked to do so) and they blow me off. Or they placate me and act like they're going to try only to roll their eyes when they think I'm not looking (and I generally see it).
Ah, the joys of being positive about life.
But I've definitely learned something over the years of this little experiment of mine. I can still be positive and not sacrifice what I've gained and not drive people away from the lifestyle (or drive them to drink for that matter). So here's a few tips I've learned:
1. Let People Feel Down. It's not the end of the world if someone has a bad day. Let them be sad. Let them cry if necessary. Throwing cliches and catchy phrases their way like "This too shall pass" isn't always the best way to handle thing. After a while, if they're still down, then take appropriate action. But don't jump in with your superhero cape on to save the day right away.
2. Don't Judge Other People's Down Times. I've learned this one the hard way. Several times. Just because I've been through worse than someone else does not give me the right to judge (or lecture) others on how they're handling a particular situation or period of time in their lives. Everyone's life is their own. Let them live it.
3. Know When to Quit. Not everyone will see your point of view. Know when to walk away and let someone have their negativity. You win more people over with actions than words anyway.
4. Every Situation is NOT an Invitation. Sometimes, you shouldn't get involved at all. You learn this (usually) the hard way. By making people mad. By getting told off. And on and on and on. Before you jump in with your two cents, weight the situation carefully. Do you really need to get involved? Should you chime in? Think before you speak.
There are a lot more lessons that I've learned along the way, but many of them fall into these main categories. Think things through before you jump. Knowing what to say is great, but knowing when to say it and how to say it is better.