Hi Brooke!
Thank you for your answer to my question on “Other People’s Negativity”.
You recommended I practice not being negative when my husband does what he does (= what I perceive as ranting or venting), and said “Be fascinated and curious instead.”
Can you help me figure out what that would look like in a situation like this: my husband says he spent a few hours tidying things around the office (he runs a company with a dozen employees), including things that should not be his to tidy up, and he was commenting on how nobody on his team seems to take the initiative. (Hoping this is circumstance-neutral enough. :))
When you say “be fascinated and curious” do you mean asking to hear more about the stuff he had to clean and tidy up, or why he feels he’s the one who should do it, or why the others aren’t doing it? I kinda feel like asking “And what are you making this mean?” but I don’t know if you’re supposed to try and coach your husband. 😀
I’m absolutely on board with trying to shift my mindset with this, but I’m having difficulty seeing what an overarching positive thought could be. Any suggestion?
Thank you!