I'm on vacation this week so instead of a regular post, this is an excerpt of an article I wrote for The High Calling. You can read the rest at the recently redesigned High Calling website.___________________________
Some people can find the dark cloud in every silver lining. These individuals are all too ready to pounce on the latest idea or the smallest breakthrough—so they can tear it down. Let me be clear. I'm not talking about constructive advice here. A thoughtful counter-point can be essential to the decision-making process.
But I'm referring to people who have a commitment to pessimism. They always view the glass as half empty. They are chronic naysayers, and they are an occupational hazard in this fallen world.
How should we respond to their negativity at work? My guess is that most of us don't respond well. Negative comments can feel like an attack on our ideas, and sometimes we respond with a counter attack. On other occasions, we may immerse ourselves in fruitless introspection over a criticism because we're afraid of making a mistake. After all, the last thing we want to do is prove those nay-sayers right!
When we respond like this, we're far too focused on ourselves and the judgments rendered on our ideas... (Read the rest of the article here)
7 comments:
Great post - in fact, I've already linked to it today as it helped to inspire my post - so thanks!
Vacation! Vacation? Who said you could go on vacation? (I guess we'll have to buck up and live without you for a week.)
Tell us, where did you go? (I'm saying "did" because I'm assuming you won't read this 'til you come back. WHAT?! YOU'RE READING THIS ON VACATION? Tssk. Tssk.)
halfmom
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the link!
LL
Yes, time to 'fess up - I'm reading this on vacation. Not only so but all I have is dial up (it's so last century!) but that's all we have at the beach.
We're at the Outer Banks, NC which is a wonderful family oriented beach. Weather's been great - for my book, there's nothing like a week at the beach to unwind.
I'd like to advertise two great books on work and spirituality that i read profitably of late. both were by Paul Stevens - Doing God's Business and The Other Six Days. Absolutely fantastic stuffs on seeing a globalised workplace as avenues of mission, meaning, and spirituality
Hedonese
Thanks for those recommendations. Would you mind sharing what key idea stood out with each book?
Oh, ESI, I'm so behind. I missed this. Thanks for the link--and you know I loved the article!
I'm headed out for a much needed vacation this week. The working vacation that I combined with business travel was fun, but ended up being mostly work. Fun work. But still work.
I hope you had a good rest!
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