|
Because life requires that we interact
with different personalities, it is not uncommon for us to encounter a
situation where there is one person whose behavior may negatively impact
the experiences of others. Someone who is loud and crass can interrupt the
serenity of those who come together to practice peace. A disruptive
worker can cause rules to be imposed that affect their colleagues’
professional lives. A team member who is pessimistic or highly critical
may destroy the morale of their fellow team members. And one “bad apple”
in your personal life can be a potent distraction that makes it difficult
to focus on the blessings you’ve been given and the people who love you.
There may always be people in your life
who take it upon themselves to create disruption, foster chaos, stamp out
hope, and act as if they are above reproach – even when, in doing so,
they put a blight on their own experiences. But you don’t need to allow
their negativity and callousness to sour your good mood. Often, our first
impulse upon coming head-to-head with a bad apple is to express our anger
and frustration in no uncertain terms. However, bad apples only have the
power to turn our lives sour if we let them.
If you can exercise patience and choose
not to respond to their words or actions, you will significantly limit
the effect they are able to have on you and your environment. You also
can attempt to encourage a bad apple to change their behavior by letting
your good behavior stand as an example. If your bad apple is simply
hoping to attract notice, they may come to realize that receiving
positive attention is much more satisfying than making a negative
impression. While you may be tempted to simply disassociate yourself
entirely from a bad apple, consider why they might be inclined to cause
disturbances. Understanding their motivation can help you see that bad
apples are not necessarily bad people. Though bad apples are a fact of
life, minimizing the impact you allow them to have upon you is empowering
because you are not letting anyone else affect the quality of your
experiences. You may discover that buried at the very heart of a bad
apple is a seed of goodness.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment