Ep 284: Avoiding Negative People can be found at Podiatry Legends Podcast
As a kid, our family spent a lot of time on the Gold Coast, and on weekends, we would take out boats up the local creeks to catch mud crabs. We’d go out early in the morning, just before sunrise, and we’d get back at sunset. On a good day, we’d catch dozens of mud crabs.
Once caught, we’d place them in a large bucket with two sturdy handles, which made it easy to carry out of the boat. What was interesting is we never needed to place a lid on the bucket because the crabs would never get out. As soon as one tried to escape, the other crabs would grab it and pull it back into the bucket.
I witnessed this time and time again, and it never ceased to amaze me. Instead of helping and supporting each other to escape, the crabs would do whatever it took to keep them in the bucket.
Negative Friends
I know crabs don’t have the same intellect or understanding about cooperation as humans, but I think negative people are sometimes just like mud crabs.
They always want to pull you back into life's bucket of mediocrity.
For example, suppose you’re thinking about starting your own podiatry business, taking on your first employee, or maybe expanding to a larger location or multiple locations. In that case, they will tell you why you shouldn’t and why it’s a bad idea.
• You have no experience.
• You don’t have any business skills, and even if you've done a few short courses in small business, they would tell you theory doesn’t count.
• Negative family will sometimes say you’re not from a family with a business background.
And the list goes on.
If you've been an employee for a number of years, negative people in your life may also tell you why you should stay in your safe job.
Nothing Positive
The fact is negative friends never have anything positive thing to say, and I think they talk this way for two reasons:
1. They could never see themselves being successful, and since you are no better than them, there’s no possible way you can succeed.
2. They are scared that you will make it, and they get left behind.
Negative friends will put a negative spin on everything you do and sometimes deliberately try to sabotage your efforts.
For example, you may be trying to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight, and they'll rock up at your house with ice cream and pizza.
Negative friends also talk behind your back. And you know this is true because they talk about other people when they're with you.
They are troublemakers.
Constant Drama
Negative friends also have constant drama in their lives. There’s never any peace, and they always try to drag you into their mess.
Honestly, you do not need this toxic energy in your life, and if you continue to hang with negative people, no one positive will want to be around you.
Negative People Cause Brain Damage
I was reading a blog by Dr Isaiah Hankel, and he wrote that negative people cause brain damage.
“Listening to a negative person for 30-minutes peels away neurons in your hippocampus, the part of your brain that’s responsible for problem-solving”.
So think about it, have you ever been with a negative friend and walked away feeling inspired and having more mental energy? Very unlikely.
You’ve probably heard the saying that you become like the five people you associate with the most, so if this is true, you will become more negative if you let a negative person into your circle of five.
At the moment, who are your five closest friends or colleagues?
I'm Not Negative; I'm Honest
I know some negative friends will tell you they’re not negative; they are honest and blunt. No…they’re negative.
Here are two simple questions to ask yourself; it's like a 2-Question Negative Friend Test.
1. Do you smile and look forward to the conversation when you meet them?
2. When you leave their presence, are you feeling better or worse from the encounter?
They say you can’t pick your family, which is true, but you can pick your friends and my advice today is to choose wisely and only spend time with friends that are uplifting and inspiring.
Repel Negative With Positive
If you do this, you will attract more positive people into your life and here’s the best thing; negative friends will stay away in droves because they don’t like being around positive people.
If you have any questions about this episode, please email me at
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