Outshine Negativity
Hey team,
Got this quote for you. Time’s marching along, and we really enjoy spending time with you. We enjoyed the barbecues this month, and from our family to yours, I hope you’re enjoying your summer. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate all the dedication and hard work from so many of you who are continually giving your best in this heat. Just wanted to share our gratitude.
Now, for the quote of the day because I’m a man of quotes. It says, “The sun doesn’t argue with the shadows. It just shines. Don’t debate negativity. Outshine it.” I love that. I have no idea where it came from, I found it on the internet. And I don’t know if it’s a famous quote from any one person. I could probably search that. All I’d have to do is ask our favorite AIs. Don’t tell me you don’t use them.
But the concept is still true. The shadows run and disappear when light is produced. People like to hide in the shadows when light is shining. But the more light you provide, the less room there is for shadows to exist. And the nice thing about that concept is that light doesn’t need to argue. We don’t have to argue with the negativity of others.
I don’t know how many of you have worked with somebody—hopefully you’re not thinking of that person right now, and hopefully they don’t work here—but from time to time, we run into people who are very pessimistic and always very negative. We all can get that way sometimes.
It’s about our mindset. It’s about how we think and what we do.
I’m naturally a pretty non-pessimistic person, but at the same time, I’m pretty naturally a sarcastic person who can be pretty negative about others. It’s been years in the making that I have worked really hard to not do that. But because it’s something I am prone to—when I get hangry, hungry, when I’m feeling down, feeling a little depressed. And some of you are going, “Chad, you don’t get depressed.” Yeah, I do. Most of you don’t see it very often, but the closer you get to me, the people that know me the most—my family and some of our executive leadership from time to time—have seen me kind of get down.
And when I do, a way to know that is I am pretty negative. I am pretty sarcastic toward others. That means I’m hiding in the shadows. I’m in the shadows instead of producing light.
But when I’m producing light, when I’m optimistic, when I’m future-seeking, when I’m driven and purposeful in my mission, when I’m focused on being valuable—because we know that nothing less will do—when I’m humble, because I’m not too proud to pick up trash, when I’m doing the things like that, then all of a sudden, my mood changes. My attitude changes. The light begins to shine, and amazing things start to happen.
I become more kind, I become more generous. And I become more loving. I become more patient. All of those things take place because the light in me starts to shine and it becomes more focused and energy-seeking. I am producing more energy that is valuable, I am not hanging in the shadows. And I am not defeated. I am not hunkered down and just being a negative Nancy or a negative Nathan. We always tend to say things like negative Nancy. Why has it got to be a girl? It could be a negative Nathan. It could be. Guys are pretty negative, too.
It’s really important that we take from that: don’t just outshine the shadows. Produce more light.
Be more energetic. Be more focused on things that matter. And be more kind, be more generous. Be more loving. Be more caring for the community and team around you.
You will see great leaps and bounds change in your own life.
So, as we go through the beautiful rest of this month and this summer, I just want to say God bless you. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you again for your hard work, your dedication, your motivation, and being valuable—because nothing less will do.
