Flip the Switch


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
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