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Negativity

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

This sub-track is concerned with the challenge of dealing with negativity, and it specifically examines how we might cope with failure and criticism. A feeling of negativity can be generated from within, but it can also have its origins in the attitudes and behaviour of other people, the ethos of an unhappy, unsupportive workplace, etc. The net effect on the individual can be to lower their self-esteem and motivation and generally to stifle their personal development.

A recognised preferred way to handle negativity is to treat it positively. Thus failure, where it occurs, is treated only as feedback - part of the learning process. As for criticism, this is best treated as a 'gift', which, even when the criticism is destructive, may have something positive to communicate. All negativity can present a challenge to one's feeling of self-worth, but "what does not destroy you can only serve to strengthen you". A healthy, positive response to negativity is to treat it as character-building! Or alternatively - every problem is an opportunity!

Elements of Negativity

The following are the items which are included on the Negativity sub-track:

Handling Failure

• Is it failure or is it feedback?

Handling Criticism

• Whether constructive or destructive

To find out more about either of these items, click on the appropriate heading.

Further Information

For further information on negativity and positive thinking see:

SelfGrowth.com - Positive Thinking and Self Talk Information

 

	Page last modified: 29 September 2005