23. ODE TO NEGATIVE NELLIES

Can we talk about “negative nellies” for a sec?

You know the type: 

·      “This isn’t good enough.” 

·      “You’re doing it wrong.” 

·      “Delete that picture—I look gross.”

So PESSIMISTIC, right?! Maybe not.  Look again.

Someone who believes this isn’t good enough, also believes it can be done better.  Optimism.

There’s a good chance the boss who says you’re doing it wrong believes you are capable of doing it right.  Optimism.

The diva who thinks she looks gross in that photo probably also thinks she’ll be around long enough to take a better one.  #BrightSide

Let’s stop telling the story that a critical eye can only be a “negative” one.  Sure, maybe that judgy, negative nelly is miserable and can only see the worst in themselves, others, and every situation.  Those folks exist.

But it may also be they have a vision of something beautiful about to emerge and they’re working really hard to make it come to life.

I had the great fortune to work with a man named Scott Baxter, whose first response to any new idea was very predictably, “that will never work.”  Some thought he lacked vision and perceived him as a barrier to innovation.  The opposite was true.  He fully believed his contribution to our success was to find the hole in the logic—the flaw that would break us, so that we would succeed.  And he did.  We did.

Sunshine and rainbows wouldn’t have gotten us to our goal.  We needed some storm clouds. 

Optimism takes many shapes and forms. It’s worth considering the “upside” of downside thinkers. 

Remember, a little rain on your parade makes everything sparkle.

Miss you, Scott.