Have you ever been faced with trying to stay positive when others around you are negative? Negative people can be a challenge to be around. They will bring you down and drain your energy. A negative person can throw your best laid plans to be positive right out the window.

 

Whether your child or spouse has an occasional negative day or you deal with a family member, friend or co-worker that is chronically negative, there are things you can do to remain positive in the face of negativity.

Whatever you do, do not argue with a negative person.

 

Arguing only adds fuel to the fire. A negative person will feed off any negativity that will strengthen his mood or attitude.

 

I have noticed when my children are in a crabby mood, it is best to avoid trying to convince them to analyze and adjust their attitude. As soon as I take the approach of being in
opposition with them, they seize the opportunity to prove to me that life stinks. Their negativity intensifies and the situation gets worse before it gets better.

 

Sometimes the best thing to do is remain silent and let the negativity pass.

You know how difficult it can be to give love and positive attention to negative people. Unfortunately, that is often exactly what they need.

 

Deep inside that mean and critical person is a person that is usually afraid he or she is unlovable. It is our challenge to rise above the negative attitude and love the injured person inside.

 

How do you show love when someone is negative? You must listen to what he or she is trying to tell you.

Acknowledge the feelings she has by saying something like, "You sound very angry right now". Even if you don't quite understand the person's feelings, know that your reality is different than someone else's. Ask how you might help the negative person.

 

This shows legitimate interest in her happiness. Offer a hug even if you get rejected. Remember not to take a rejection of your love personally. A negative person often has difficulty receiving love from others.

If you try really hard, there is always something positive to be found in any situation.

 

Pretend you are on a treasure hunt and search for any gold or jewels you can emphasize. Even a negative person has positive qualities. When a person is drowning in negativity, it can be difficult for them to see the positive.

 

So often my clients focus on the negative aspects of themselves. They forget about all the great things they are doing. I admit that sometimes a negative person doesn't want to see the positive. This might require her to shift her outlook.

Negativity can become a habit and habits are hard to break.

 

Be patient and gently remind your grumpy friend or family member to look for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Hopefully, in her down time, she will begin to reflect on what you have said.

Tomorrow, tips 4 through 7.

 

About the Author:
Lori Radun, CEC, is a certified life coach and founder of True to You Life Coaching. She is also the mother of two boys. Lori's coaching practice is centered on mothers and is focused on helping them to live fulfilling lives while they raise their children to be happy, healthy, and well-adjusted adults.

 

Lori does this through speaking engagements, personal coaching, and other coaching products. Her free newsletter, and the special report, "155 Things Moms Can Do to Raise Great Children," are available on her Web site at http://www.true2youlifecoaching.com.
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