“But”

A little conjunction that sometimes packs a big punch.

Three letters that mean except for the fact or on the contrary or other hand.

Three little letters that usually negate any words that came before them.

A little word that is the staple of a negative vocabulary.

I’m sorry………but………

That’s lovely…….but…….

Good job…….but……

Negative people love the word but.  The little word can turn anything positive they might say into a negative and thus fulfill their need to believe everything is really just shit.

Negative people are “but”-heads.

“This is a great place to eat, but I would rather have been at a window table, sitting here just isn’t the same.”

Negative people will take your good news, any good news, chew it up and spit it back out as doomsday prophecies.

“It’s nice you got a new job, but I’ve heard that company is going to go out of business”

Negative people are bad news vampires.   They will suck down as much bad news as they can to fill up their bank of negative.

Dealing with a negative person is hard work.   Staying positive when bombarded with negative takes a conscious effort.

Trying to help turn a negative attitude around is one battle in a very long war.  In most cases, it isn’t a war that can be won.   Suggestions of positive things to help improve outlook fall on deaf ears.   Following their statements with a positive is met with rolled eyes and another “but” and suggesting they be positive is usually met with the answer “I am positive, but….”.

The best a positive person can do when they have to deal with their polar opposite is to guard against absorbing the negative by building a positive energy force field around themselves.

A positive person  has to remind themselves daily to continue to smile, see the world as good, the glass half full and hope that some of that positive energy penetrates the negative around them.

No buts or “but”-heads about it.