This morning I shared a cup of coffee and some great conversation with a good friend of mine.
She told me that she just celebrated her 19 year anniversary with the love of her life. As a gift, she decided to write 19 reasons why she still loved her partner – one reason for each year they were together.  It was truly a precious gift.
That gave me an idea. When I got home, I pulled out a card and across the top I scribbled:
5 Top Reasons Why I Love You So Much
Then I listed them, put the card in an envelope, sealed it and gave it to my husband.  YES, I could have written a hundred more reasons (just in case you were wondering) but I decided to keep it short and sweet.
And this lead me to my next thought:
What if I did this for the people in my life who actually annoyed me to death? You know what I’m talking about – it could be that co-worker who won’t stop chatting, or that boss who doesn’t give you credit for all your hard work, or that friend who only talks about herself and never asks how you are doing?
What if I take a closer look at all those people who tend to aggravate me and list just 5 things that are good about them? It could be something as simple as “they have a sweet smile†or something more obvious like “they bring brownies to work for everyone to enjoy.â€
I could even work on substituting words for their annoying behavior. Let’s see:
Cheap could be replaced by Thrifty and Budget Minded
Gossipy could be replaced by Informative
Unfocused could be replaced by Unpredictable and Fun
It just may help to flip the switch and see them in a different light. If nothing else, it can turn my annoyance into a tolerance. I’m not sure if it will work, but I’m going to give it a try.
And if you’re thinking of looking at the annoying people in your life a little differently, I’ve included a wordsmith to help you with those replacement words. Let me know how it goes.
Categories: Personal Development Positive Mindset Positive Thinking Professional Development
Tags: Annoying Co-Workers, Annoying Habits, Celebrate Anniversary
Great ideas Nancy. Love flipping the switch on those that challenge us a bit.
Thanks!
It really has helped me look at people differently and be more accepting and tolerant. Life’s too short for anything else.
In my line of work I like to use a 3:1 ratio in compliments to criticism. This can be very difficult to do especially when you are not having a good day/week. However people like to know that they are appreciated for what they do right…not criticized for what they don’t do right even children…especially children! This is a great idea to help me see although challenging everyone has good qualities about them!
Thanks for sharing the concept of the 3 to 1 ratio for compliments vs. criticism. It will help to make me stop and think before judging someone. After all, you never know what the other person may be going through or what challenges they are facing in their life.