Contagious zest for life verses playground bullies – you choose..

It’s awesome to get responses to my ‘thinking out loud’ emails and this week was no exception.
Although, I guess, when you stick your head above the parapet, there’s always a chance someone wants to shoot you down.

Enter one of guys from ‘the competition’ in the UK.  Let’s call him Mr X.  He likes to write to me every now and then, over the years, always in a similar vein to his negative attitude below.

“Surely you must have picked up by now that people are laughing about these emails you are sending out… you’re ridiculous”.

And he goes on.  And on.

This email reminds me of how my youngest daughter has been at the receiving end lately of the school bully.  Sim and I are trying to teach her one of life’s crucial lessons: when people say mean things, it’s their distorted thinking.  It doesn’t actually mean anything about you; it’s about them and their insecurities.  We don’t have to take on others’ distorted thinking, it’s a choice.

Are we still in the playground, Mr X?

A lovely woman called Gayle left me in awe when she wrote back about how she’s achieving many varied and fascinating goals in her life. She also passed on pearls of wisdom on how to raise happy, respectful kids.

The last quote, from another reply I received after last week’s email, goes to a longtime, dear friend of the family, Conrad, who’s overcome lots of challenges in the past couple of years and on top of all that, he’s just beaten cancer.  He’s an inspiration.

“Oh that’s one other thing I’ve taken on….if I have the choice (and in most cases we do), hang out with positive people with a contagious zest for life and ditch the drama deadbeats”.

Well said.

Life is too short.  Enjoy it today, wherever you are, with like minded people.

Geoff