Nov 17, 2009

You can't win, so don't try.




If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that you can’t please everybody. Once you truly embrace this truth you experience a whole new world. Suddenly you are free to do things based on what you think is best. Not controlled by what all the naysayers might say….. naysayers are always saying nay, it’s their job.

And naysayers are divided into at least two different camps. This is to ensure that no matter what course of action you take one of those camps will be rolling their eyes, tskking their tongues and just being very surly and disagreeable. Accept it, ignore them and move on with what needs to be done.

You know what else? Naysayers thrive on being the fly in the ointment. When you don't care, it de-motivates them. It's actually kind of fun to watch. Kind of like a balloon slowly losing it's air.

11 comments:

  1. SlingNovember 17, 2009 at 3:05 PM

    I figured out a long time ago,that when people say,'You can't!',what they really mean is,'I can't,so I don't want you to do it,and shine a light on my own shortcomings'..

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  2. RaeNovember 17, 2009 at 8:22 PM

    Sounds like you must have met up with a group of naysayers. It is impossible to please everybody 100% of the time. I like your words on de-motivating. It is fun to watch.

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  3. Miss HealthypantsNovember 17, 2009 at 8:32 PM

    Naysayers can kiss my ass. I'm just sayin'. :)

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  4. Random ThinkerNovember 18, 2009 at 1:00 PM

    Sling - I think it starts that way and then it just becomes a habit for them. Plus they get all this attention. A lot of it also comes from pure laziness. The status quo is so much easier.

    Rae - Sometimes I feel like my job as HR is to babysit the naysayers. It gets tiring.

    MHP - Amen. I like it when you swear.

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  5. kateNovember 19, 2009 at 9:05 AM

    Like you, one of my favorite things to do is to not react when a nay-sayer goes on a rant. They get all squirmy, fidget, freak out...and eventually shut up which is usually my goal :)

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  6. rosemaryNovember 19, 2009 at 4:04 PM

    Sadly Steve fits into this post....his version is....after one of his kids, my kids or I tell him something planned or that has already happened he has a ...."yes, but..." totally pisses me off.

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  7. Random ThinkerNovember 19, 2009 at 7:20 PM

    Kate - it's true - they are so used to all the attention they get that they literally don't know what to do.

    Rosemary - My Dad was that way. It's how I learned to handle people saying no.

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  8. booda babyNovember 23, 2009 at 12:22 PM

    I think Sling and then your follow up pretty much hit the nail etc etc. I hope people find this post for years to come, because it's the essential first step.

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  9. Random ThinkerNovember 23, 2009 at 8:27 PM

    Booda - it was very liberating when I made this realization. It's one of the essential lessons I tried to teach my kids, along with owning up to your mistakes.

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  10. Middle ChildNovember 26, 2009 at 11:53 PM

    Sling is spot on...a few too many naysayers in my extended family...sadly

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  11. Random ThinkerNovember 27, 2009 at 4:16 PM

    MC - They tend to attract each other don't they?

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