I was at a poker table the other day and was seated across from a grumpy looking gentleman. He complained about his cards, his chair, the table chatter and everything else that happened and didn’t happen. He chastised the woman next to him for her poor play. She made futile attempts to defend her actions and he would just turn away. This was one miserable man.
It is a well-known fact that you should never reprimand a bad player. You should encourage them to continue playing badly. Why would you want to encourage someone to play better against you?
However, this moan is not about poker. It is about being miserable. The gentleman said something to the dealer that the dealer did not appreciate. The dealer said,” I guess no one can piss you off if you stay miserable.” It was a great shot at Mr. Misery. I quickly made a note to moan about it.
There are people who wander around in life waiting to be offended. They look for it. They live for it. It feeds some internal desire to be miserable. They cannot find positive in anything or anyone. They suck the joy out of a room.
I mentioned in my previous moan that cynicism can lead to dementia. Miserableness can lead to being avoided and shunned. If people run when you walk into a room rather than approach you, check your attitude. Misery is an attitude. Attitude is a choice. You can choose to be miserable which attracts bad stuff or choose to be positive and attract good stuff. Having a positive attitude may not prevent all bad things from happening, however, it will help you get through those bad things.
To get a positive attitude, smile. Seriously, smile. Get up in the morning and smile. Smile when you brush your teeth, shower and whatever else you do in the morning. Smile at your coffee, your plants, you significant other, etc. Make sure you smile a great deal. You will find that your will become a happier more positive person. Think about positive things. I think it was Earl Nightingale who said, “You become what you think about.”
As for Mr. Misery, he was knocked out of the tournament early as he expected. The table passed quiet smiles around as they did an internal cheer.
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