Negativity and Its Impacts on my Life

Life’s too short to be around negativity. I quickly realized this when I was first introduced to it as a young boy. Whether it’s toxic people, negative thoughts, or even harmful situations, negativity is something which we all have to step away from. Inscribed within our human nature, we all seek to be happy. Unfortunately, negativity is just a part of life and being around an environment of negativity also sheds that nature upon yourself. But how exactly did this influence me? Here’s my experience with negativity and what I learned from it. 

As a young, sixth-grade boy, I was blissfully unaware of the consequences of being in a negative environment. As a kid with a keen interest in soccer, I aspired to make a debut onto a competitive team. After months of training by myself, all the hard work finally paid off when I tried out and finally made a team! Little did my younger self know that this decision would lead to making the ensuing year a difficult endeavor. While my teammates were kind, the coaching staff left much to be desired. Don’t get me wrong, the first few weeks were a fantastic experience of team bonding, friendship building, and great games! Unfortunately, it all quickly turned south when the coach started getting comfortable with the team. What started out as motivation and inspiration quickly became cruelty, animosity, and, ultimately, negativity.

Constant verbal abuse was a day-to-day normality and low self-esteem was a given. Because of one coach, my passion for the sport was slowly dying out. Afraid of speaking up, I continued with the team for the next year and a half—a decision that put me in a dark headspace.

Never having known the true meaning of coaching, I stuck around with the team. I was just too afraid to make a change. It came to a point where I had to put my foot down and, with much convincing from my parents, I finally quit the team. And it felt like a domino effect, the rest of the team followed! After a year full of self-doubt, low motivation, and fear, one decision wiped it all away. Now I play for a new soccer team where my talents are recognized and I’m improving day by day. My move from a toxic environment to a positive one ultimately put me in a much better place both in terms of my soccer skills and my mental health. 

So, here’s the moral of the story: having removed myself from an environment of hate and negativity, I found myself in a much brighter place. A mindset that was once clouds and rain soon became one of sunshine and warmth. I started developing more motivation, drive, determination, passion, and even more of a growth mindset after separating myself from a toxic environment. 

Unfortunately, negative people and situations will be a part of life. It’s just unavoidable. Don’t fret because fortunately there still are ways to combat them! Just as I did, I would recommend trying to remove and distance yourself from negative people and/or situations. Typically, this method works when you’re not bound to a commitment such as a school project, work, etc., but, if you can find an adequate alternative, utilize this technique. Try avoiding negativity if possible! Always be open to change and try to find the courage to move away from a negative environment. 

If you can’t distance yourself from it, my next bit of advice would be to not take negativity to heart. By not taking it personally, you can move on with your day without the extra burden of toxic comments, thoughts, or even situations. Smile through negativity no matter what and always make sure to continue to exercise a positive mindset despite the environment around you. While I faced the harsh reality of how negativity impacts people, in the end I learned a lesson from it and I hope to have shared that same moral with you. After all, life’s too short to be around negativity and it only takes “one bad apple to spoil the bunch.” So, choose to smile, choose to be positive, choose to be a good apple. Negativity is a part of life and being able to cope with it through the necessary means is something that’s required. I hope you can learn from my experiences and make a stand against any negativity that exists within your own life!