You put the key into the ignition, give it a twist and listen as the engine begins its gentle hum. Unless it doesn't. So you try againand againand there's nothing more than the sickening sound of a hollow click. The arrival of family, friend, or Auto Club and a set of jumper cables just might be the key to getting you moving again as the power of a healthy battery gives a jumpstart to the dead one. It's typically fairly easy, quick and causes no damaging effects to the rescuing vehicle. A win-win to be sure.
She was the kind of person who, to be honest, was rather difficult to be around. Words of a critical nature seemed to be the first spoken regardless of the topic at hand. Even after the briefest of interactions the room could feel deflated by the negative atmosphere that seemed to suck out all the oxygen. There was rarely anything incorrect about what she was saying. It's not even that she was prone to exaggeration. It's simply that if there was something negative to say she never felt the need to hold her tongue. After a meeting, meal or cup of coffee it was hard to be motivated about a project or event since typically the encounter left people feeling like a drained battery.
Thankfully her's were not the only words--nor the last words. There were many other individuals whose words and attitude served to counteract the negative and get things flowing in a positive direction. Those people were a gift. Encouraging, positive people bring a spark to situations, and their presence and contribution is like plugging into a battery that can jumpstart those who might be feeling a bit drained.
But not everyone views criticism and discouragement as negative. Some feel they can use these as motivators. Read the biographies of the rich and famous and you will more often than not hear of an account of someone in their life telling them they didn't have what it takes and would never achieve their goals. People point out this was the impetus for motivating them to work even harder and soar even higher just to prove others wrong. Words of criticism or discouragement seemed to fan the flames of success. There's no denying that the stubborn streak that exists in us can work to our advantage in proving we can do something we set out to do. Psychologists tell us we learn more from a certain degree of discouragement and that there is an ideal ratio of negative versus positive that each of us respond to. I don't discount their research but can't help but feel there is a hollowness in the success if it comes in spite of, not because of, our interactions with others.
We all need to rise up after being knocked down--it's one of the first things we learn as toddlers and it is a lesson that serves us well throughout our life. What got us back on our feet was our desire to want to do so, a belief that we had the ability to do it, and sometimes an assist in the form of a sturdy piece of furniture, helping hand or the cheering on of a bystander.
The words spoken over us have the effect of lifting us up or bringing us down--sparking our enthusiasm or draining our batteries. So do the words we speak over others. One part of the equation is to remind ourselves to keep a check on the potential harm of negative words. But the other part of the equation is to remember how impacting our positive words can be. It's like jumpstarting a vehicle for someone. And you never know what you might be igniting as a result.
The positive charge flowing from a battery is similar whether it belongs to family, friend or helpful stranger. The charge is the same--and the impact can be the same. We walk around every day with the ability to add something wonderful by simply sharing a few encouraging words. It's like having a set of jumper cables with us at all times. So let's be sure that whether we're called on or not, we make use of those cables every opportunity we get. That's my outlook.
