Looking Down, and Maybe Back?
Episode 17: The Downside
I'm not a big fan of looking at the downside. I myself am extremely optimistic. I'm not saying everyone should be this way(although I highly suggest it in the favorite of my episodes - Episode 7) because sometimes that's what makes us different. However I do believe one should never think pessimistically. Thinking pessimistically makes you look down on yourself, and even look back at things you've done in the past with a negative attitude. It also effects your friends and family. It makes them look down on themselves, or even make them regret there decisions.
(Backstory)
Sadly, my most recent example is my father. He has been pushing me really really hard to get an internship in the Computer Science field this summer. I agree that this would be important. However, I felt that after only one year of courses that I wasn't ready. And I personally wasn't ready for an internship with a company; which is the part my dad didn't understand. I mean sure, internships provide you with a lot of experience and they are there to teach, but you have to know something. After reading the requirements for these internships, I felt like I knew about these requirements, but I was so on the edge of being qualified, that I felt a majority of these internships were for sophomore level college student. My dad didn't seem to think so, even though he himself didn't start interning until his sophomore/junior year.
(Example)
So today I went to Target with Andrew and applied there. Later, I got back and told my mom about it while my dad was there. "Well that's the perfect job!(my dad said sarcastically) Because all they ever do there is stand around and shoot the shit!"
'Shoot the shit' is slang for basically standing around doing nothing. First of all, that is an extremely pessimistic and incorrect view. It was also unnecessary. It was almost as if the only point of that comment was to make me feel bad about myself. I'm just trying to make some money! I also think it's unfair of him to criticize me when the job he had after his freshman year of college was a Christian Camp Counselor, which paid just around the same, possibly worse. It's possible that he's looking out for my future, but the manner in which he said it was so negative and sarcastic I truly believes he doesn't want me to get a job at Target, or Best Buy or any similar venue. But instead of telling me that, he had to make me feel really bad about even applying there.
So I beg you, don't do that to your friends or to yourself. If you think something a friend is doing is wrong, tell them and talk to them about it. Don't make them feel down, shitty, and negative just because you are. And if you have your own problem, look up. Looking down or back will only make you the pessimistic one. Peace and Love!
~Andy