Generally people can be put into one of two categories – positive thinkers or negative thinkers. There are those who tend to see problems rather than possibilities; those who never see a cup half full but always half empty. Here’s a humorous story which reveals how distorted our perception can become when the negative over rides everything else.
Two men were great friends but one of them was growing more and more negative. This was beginning to concern and annoy the other friend. His friend’s name was Norm and he began to think of him as “Negative Norm”. So he wanted to find a way to help “Negative Norm” become just a bit more positive in his outlook.
The optimistic friend had an unusual dog. As it grew out of it’s puppy state, the beautiful creature developed huge paws with large webs between the toes. When they walked together around a lake and his human companion threw a stick out onto the water for his dog to go after, the dog didn’t swim but could actually walk on the water, retrieve the stick and walk back.
He invited Negative Norm on a walk around the lake to show off his dog, believing that Norm would see the positive and say “wow, what an amazing creature” thereby jump starting his ability to become more positive. The man picked up and threw a stick onto the lake. The dog walked on water and retrieved the stick. This happened two more times but Negative Norm didn’t make any comment.
Finally, the positive man said to Negative Norm: “Don’t you notice anything unusual about my dog?” His friend replied: “Yes, but I didn’t want to say anything because you’re always telling me I’m so negative. It’s clear to me . . . your dog can’t swim!”
Let that story prompt you to assess whether you are a positive or a negative person. Are you one who looks out and sees a dog that can’t swim or a dog that walks on water? Do you see the positive or the negative in a situation?
Life is richer, fuller, more pleasant when we shift our focus toward the positive rather than become warped by the negative.
Two men were great friends but one of them was growing more and more negative. This was beginning to concern and annoy the other friend. His friend’s name was Norm and he began to think of him as “Negative Norm”. So he wanted to find a way to help “Negative Norm” become just a bit more positive in his outlook.
The optimistic friend had an unusual dog. As it grew out of it’s puppy state, the beautiful creature developed huge paws with large webs between the toes. When they walked together around a lake and his human companion threw a stick out onto the water for his dog to go after, the dog didn’t swim but could actually walk on the water, retrieve the stick and walk back.
He invited Negative Norm on a walk around the lake to show off his dog, believing that Norm would see the positive and say “wow, what an amazing creature” thereby jump starting his ability to become more positive. The man picked up and threw a stick onto the lake. The dog walked on water and retrieved the stick. This happened two more times but Negative Norm didn’t make any comment.
Finally, the positive man said to Negative Norm: “Don’t you notice anything unusual about my dog?” His friend replied: “Yes, but I didn’t want to say anything because you’re always telling me I’m so negative. It’s clear to me . . . your dog can’t swim!”
Let that story prompt you to assess whether you are a positive or a negative person. Are you one who looks out and sees a dog that can’t swim or a dog that walks on water? Do you see the positive or the negative in a situation?
Life is richer, fuller, more pleasant when we shift our focus toward the positive rather than become warped by the negative.
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