Misery Isn’t Getting This Company
In a previous blog post “Eeyore or Mr. Roarke”, we explored the impact of the depressed, victim cloud of certain personalities versus the more pleasant, friendly, upbeat ones.
But how about those truly negative people? You know — the kind who spew venom and look for something terrible always and in every situation.
To me, this is best showcased when on holiday, surrounded by beautiful aesthetics (and a frozen, fruity cocktail!) I have found that if a person can’t be happy on vacation, then they just may be a miserable soul. You know who I’m speaking of; those people who can never be pleased, especially until all of those around them are glum as well.
I’d like to think that these adversarial folks don’t have self-awareness about their destruction. Or perhaps they’ve been this way so long that they don’t know that happiness is a choice.
Sometimes life throws you lemons and you may find yourself in a season of challenges. However, a season of challenges does not have to turn into a lifetime of despondency.
A perfect example of these opposing life approaches was presented to me on a cruise many years ago. Each night, we sat in the main dining room with fellow passengers to the right of us who were one of the loveliest, elderly couples that we’ve ever met. They were in their ‘80’s; she had been very ill for many years and had just received news that allowed her to travel. He was so attentive and caring to her; he also embraced technology and jokingly took jabs at me for my lack of trust in financial phone apps! They shared how much they loved to travel and about the great adventures of their six decade marriage.
That was in contrast to the couple to the left of us who were a bit younger (in their late ‘60’s); not as well-traveled but informed, opinionated AND pessimistic. The wife was one of the most “Negative Nellies” that I’ve ever been in the company of. The staff could do no right for her; she nitpicked everything; her poor husband just sat there. I think that he would’ve been embarrassed had he not endured her comments for their many years of marriage.
They, too, wanted to talk to us. Alas, we were sandwiched in between the dark and the light. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess who we instinctively wanted to socialize most with. I’m not immune to seasons of challenges in my life, but I refuse to stay down a dark path for very long. In fact, I agree with Martha Washington’s philosophy: “I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”
And that’s why misery isn’t getting this company!
