8 Things You Need To Know About A Negative Attitude
You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.
Joyce Meyer
I was in the locker room at the gym last week when I overheard two men talking about the ongoing construction at the gym. As I listened, I heard them both complaining about the amount of time it was taking to do the work. They were also complaining about the inconvenience caused by the construction. And they voiced their dismay at the lack of visual difference part of the project was making. All this complaining was happening at 6AM.
I found myself angered by their poor attitude. I wanted to walk over and tell them to shut up. I wanted to tell them about the realities of construction projects. I wanted to remind them to be thankful for the blessing of our gym. Instead, I gathered by belongings and walked out to my car.
On my way to the office, I couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation in the locker room. Negativity drags you down and brings others with you. A negative attitude has many negative impacts. In today’s post, I provide some of the ways a negative attitude adversely effects you:
8 Things You Need To Know About A Negative Attitude
- A negative attitude brings others down. When I left the gym, I found myself struggling with a negative attitude towards the men in the locker room. Just like a virus, a negative attitude is contagious, and it will ultimately cause others to have a negative attitude.
- A negative attitude causes you to miss out on the good things of life. The men in the gym missed out on the blessing of having a gym and excellent workout facilities. They missed out on the blessing of a new day. And they missed out on the opportunity to lift encourage each other. When you put on the blinders of negativity, you miss out on the great things happening all around you.
- A negative attitude drains your energy. I don’t know how the men in the locker room did the rest of their day, but I know from my own experience that I am less energetic when I allow a negative attitude to stick with me throughout the day.
- A negative attitude compromises your health. A negative attitude adversely impacts our physical, emotional, and mental health. A negative attitude often prevents people from taking positive steps which could overcome health obstacles.
- A negative attitude impedes your career development. I wasn’t interviewing the men in the locker room for a job, but I would be unlikely to hire them if I came across them at a job fair. I want people on my team who are positive and encouraging. A negative attitude often prevents people from achieving the career advancement they desire.
- A negative attitude misses out on hope. Hope is a key ingredient for life. Without hope, there is little reason for living. A negative attitude overlooks the blessings of the past, the importance of being present, and the hope for the future.
- A negative attitude fails to take responsibility. The men in the gym could cancel their membership. They could seek to understand the current status of the construction project. Or they could determine to be a positive voice in the discussion. Instead, they blamed others for failing to meet their expectations. We live in a world where blame is too easily passed along to others. If you want to have a negative attitude, blame everyone else for your problems.
- A negative attitude destroys relationships. I didn’t really have a relationship with the men in the locker room prior to their conversation, but I’m pretty our relationship would be destroyed if we did have one. Negativity breeds disharmony, derision, and deceit. These things lead to broken promises and shattered friendships.