Negative

It is not quite dark when I roll out the front door for my ride to work.  I probably should have brought my light, but I didn't want to mess with it.

After work I met up with Chris Strout , mountain bike pro,  for  a road ride.  He just moved down from Chicago a couple of months ago.  I decided to take him on a tour of the Swannanoa vallley.

We left camp and headed towards Black Mountain on North Fork Rd.  Through the town, and east on Hwy 70.  We went out to the Point Lookout Greenway trail, and down to the flag pole that marks the Point Lookout.  There used to be a restaurant here with black bears in cages.  It was the cool place to go on Sunday afternoon.

We headed back west, following Hwy 70 to old Hwy 70, and then out and around Warren Wilson College. Winding around through the valley, up and down the hills, enjoying the scenery and the company.  After close to 2 hrs we parted ways.  I gave him told Chris how to get back to camp and we parted ways.

On the ride we discussed a lot of things but the one thing that sticks out to me and is important to me was positivity.

Here are some thoughts.  At one point in life I spent time with people who were overly critical.  They thought they had it figured out and everybody else did things wrong.  They didn't offer solutions to problems but they definitely knew what people were doing wrong.

Then I took a road trip with a friend.  The difference was amazing.  He was positive and complimentary.  My eyes were opened to a new way of thinking.  When I got back home I decided to shed the negativity and to be a positive force.  As I started to pull away from my negative friends, and spend less time with them,  I found that the security they provided was merely a false sense of security.

As I surrounded myself with more positive people, I found that I was enjoying life more.  And I didn't regret my decision.  Of course it was my fault that I didn't call anymore, and I was the one with the problem, the one who was distant and had "changed".  But, their opinions didn't bother me anymore.  I was free.  Free to be happy and be positive, and help people for the better.

Are you surrounded by negative people?  Are you that negative person?  If so, then change.  It's not easy. It's a habit, and you have to retrain yourself.  Even offer compliments to people who in your eyes don't deserve it.  Say positive things.  Only be constructively critical.  Only point out problems if you have a possible solution, and are willing to help with the solution,  or are open to another solution. 

It is not always easy,  but go for it.  You will be a lot happier, and enjoy life a lot more!!

Have a great day.