Think positive

One time, young girls were talking about a classmate, who was sitting just a few feet away. She asked, “Are you talking about me?” One of the girls replied, “We were just talking about how annoying you can be.” The poor girl cried.

Hearing about this, I sat down with the girls and started talking about seeing the good in people. We have a choice to zero in on a person’s good or bad side. I remember the bull sessions we had in high school, where we criticized an unpopular classmate. The person in the hot seat ended up feeling more unwanted and misunderstood.

Years later, I have learned important things in life: Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and nobody’s perfect! I told the girls to sit opposite another girl and say something positive about her. They started laughing. They initially struggled and groped for words!

But, when they finally found their voice and started speaking about the good in others, they found it cathartic!

I told the girls not to use the word “nice,” which is vague and too general. So, they began using specific words like “awesome,” “friendly,” etc. By the end of the session, everyone was feeling happy and motivated to say positive things about other people.

Let us think positive and see the good in others—and encourage them to do the same!

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