#ELBlog #141: ANTS by Nancy Dunn

Amazing concept #ANTS from my friend Nancy Dunn. Nancy is a retired nurse from the Port Jervis City School District. She was just so awesome as a nurse, mom, colleague, and friend. She is a force and has the ‘touch of the master’s hand’, meaning things she gets her hands on turn out awesome! I thank her for this blog post and for all the guidance she offered to me over the years. Watch out for the #ANTS!

Do you have a co-worker, colleague, friend, relative or even child who is the person in the room that always sees the glass as half-empty? Always complaining about something? Always a negative attitude? Is the one throwing negativity on every situation? This is sort of a pet-peeve of mine. This always brings “ANTS” to mind.

I am a retired nurse. I spent my nursing career in a variety of different roles, from Trauma Nurse, Case Manager, Clinical Supervisor to School Nurse. I honestly never had a job I didn’t like. Don’t get me wrong, every day was not a bed of roses, but overall I loved my job(s). I am also the Mom of 3 great kids. Now THAT was my greatest job….again not always the easiest but at the end of the day those three are life’s greatest blessing to me. I tell you a bit about my career and parent history because I used my ANTS illustration many times with my kids, friends, co-workers & employees. I am no Psychologist and I seriously can’t say if I made up the ANTS theory in one of those “ah-ha” moments I’ve had or if I heard it from someone, but I’ve been using it for years.

Now, back to the ANTS and those “complainers” and people with the constant negative attitude. We all know a few. I often told my kids, employees and co-workers about what I call the “ANTS” theory.

Seriously, we all know that attitude and enthusiasm are like static electricity right? They both rub off and stick to you like glue right??? So what happens when you spend time with people who have a negative attitude? I believe it becomes detrimental to your own attitude, enthusiasm and successes. It’s like ANTS. When you are on a picnic and you lay that blanket out on the grass, sit down and put your picnic basket full of goodies next to you………suddenly the “ants” begin to appear. One at a time these little creatures march onto the scene and before you know it there is a whole army of ants invading your space and ruining your good time. Likewise with everyday people. People with negative complaining attitudes attract other people with negative complaining attitudes and just Iike the ants….before you know it…..you’re over run with negativity. ANTS… “AUTOMATIC NEGATIVE THINKING SYNDROME”.

Hang out with negative thinkers, people with negative attitudes, constant complainers….. it’s only a matter of time before you too become one of them. The ANTS theory will take hold.

I think your personal attitude, whether it be at work, at school, at church, in your circle of friends, on a sports team etc……. is a true barometer for your success. No team every won a championship if they all believed they would never ever win. In medicine, the patients who improve and do the best are those who believe they will get better. The car salesman who approaches you isn’t saying to himself “Gee, I’m never gonna sell a car today?”. We can’t deny that there is SOMETHING to be said about the attitude we approach a situation with.

So, I say, surround yourself with POSITIVE thinkers, people with good attitudes! Positivity and enthusiasm go hand-in-hand and overall, I think, make you a happier and more successful person. Look for joy, look for the positives……