My mom always quoted Thumper's mother's sage advice to me when I got a little extra complainy and whiny.
Who could argue with Walt Disney wisdom delivered by a sweet furball?
Certainly not the average seven-year-old in the late 60's. By that I mean me.
Mothers seem to know certain things by instinct.
Things like whining, complaining and mean-spiritedness just aren't good for the soul.
In looking for a definitive answer on how many positive comments it takes to cancel a negative you can find loads of answers. Ten positives to cancel out a negative? That might be a little high. But let's think it through.
How quickly does negativity spread? Like little breeding bunny rabbits, I say. A co-worker or spouse or family member walks through the door with a brooding attitude and the whole climate changes doesn't it?
A scowl involves a whole different atmospheric charge than a smile does.
Some moods actually make the air crackle with intensity. A storm is brewing. Will the lightning be distant passive aggressive flickers on the horizon? Or direct and personal hits?
And our emotions respond to the possible danger. Even if the electrical tension has nothing to do with us, we can still get caught in the storm. And we feel assaulted and respond accordingly.
Laughter, smiles, sweetness, encouragement also breed like sweet little bunnies. Sunshiny attitudes can even chase away little storm clouds.
So. Who do you want to be? A gray storm cloud? Or a beam of sunshine?
The next time you feel a sarcastic, mean, whiny, complainy, negative thought working it's way toward your lips, clamp down on it like a bunny on a carrot. Because, honestly, your comment may paint a better picture of who you are versus who you are complaining about. And it may bring a litter of more negativity. If you can't say something nice, kind, encouraging, then what's your motivation? And does it really need to be said?
