Everyone is out to get you
Who’s been triggered this week? By an email, a text, the way someone looked at us, or through us, by a slow walker…? Most of us I imagine. We’re in a pressure cooker of tension and uncertainty, which tends to amp up our default reaction to assume that the world is out to get us. That someone is being passive aggressive with their email, or even out right aggressive with their short text. That we’re being underestimated, or scorned in some way by that look. That the slow walker is deliberately making us late and why don’t they have somewhere to get to, and it’s definitely their fault we were over ambitious with our timing.
The downside of this is that negativity is a contaminant. It takes nine positive things in our lives to outweigh a single negative occurrence or interaction. NINE. That means we have a challenge on our hands people, which is why personally I’m trying to assume positive intent on the part of others when things may not be going my way. I’m under no illusion that I’m special enough for anyone to be out to actually get me. If they do something careless frankly they’re not even thinking about me. They’re thinking about their own issues, their own imagined slights, their own slow walkers. No-one wakes up in the morning and thinks “today I’m just going to be a [insert expletive] to everyone”. We’re all just trying to end the day better than we found it.
"Whatever anyone says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different."
Or are they?
So this week’s suggestion – try and consciously assume positive intent on the part of others. Don’t fill the silence or the void with the worst case scenario, fill it with the best. See how it feels. If you do come across deliberate slights…well, you have the choice to let them go. Nothing neuters an attack quicker than rising above it. As for me…I’ll be factoring more time to get around town so I can stop being that [insert expletive] on the busy pavement.
So when you’re planning your week, are you factoring in enough down time, both for your mind and your body, to come back stronger, faster and better?
Life is short. Until next time take care, stay safe and be kind 🙌
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