The past few days I have been under the weather. It has kept me in bed and out of commission. Those of you I have had the pleasure of speaking with over the phone have indicated just how terrible I sound! I assumed that working from a home office meant limited contact with cold and flu germs. Interestingly, I managed to get hit twice so far this winter!
I started to wonder where in the world I could have caught the cold I have been battling for almost a week. I thought back to all of the places I had been and tried to remember if I had taken my vitamins like I should have. The full bottle of Zinc indicates I may have slacked a little--but I also could not remember anyone around me being sick, coughing, sneezing or having any other outward symptoms. It seemed the contagions were all around me, but I was completely unaware. I had let my guard down, and I had gotten hit!
Interestingly, the attitudes of those around us are contagious in much the same way. We often go about our business unaware of just how much others' opinions, impressions and attitudes can infiltrate our lives. If you surround yourself by healthy people (aka the ones without colds in my case), you are more likely to be healthy. This means both physically and mentally. Surrounding yourself by people whose attitudes are positive, can influence our own way of thinking. Supportive people help build your mental immune system up, instead of tearing it down. In contrast, individuals whose attitudes are negative can tear you down. Just like a cold, it is so easy to catch these germs. Slowly, we begin to manifest signs of a sore throat (perhaps a sore attitude?). In time, what was once just a slight symptom has become a full-blown illness.
Sometimes it is easy to spot those individuals with negative attitudes and outlooks; but there are other occasions when it is much more subtle. You must arm yourself with your daily vitamins. Always make time to relax, reflect and replenish yourself. If you feel yourself starting to develop the signs of a negative attitude, take the time to think about why, and reframe your thinking.
Good luck, and stay warm!
