Dont’ put Sand in my Cake by Kirk Weisler

“Recipe:  Get Rid of the Teaspoon of Sand”

Imagine someone baking a chocolate cake.  In addition of the flour, sugar and salt, he or she adds a tiny teaspoon full of sand to the recipe.  Then the cake batter is stirred completely, carefully baked, and frosted and decorated with nuts, cherries and whipped cream.  It appears to be perfect.

At dinner, when you see the cake, what do you do?  I would probably cut the biggest slice possible without looking too piggy- and take a huge bite.  My first reaction would be “Mmmmm”, but then I’d probably push it away, saying, “Thanks – it’s a beautiful cake – except for the sand.”

In the same way it takes only a teaspoon full of negative attitudes or remarks to ruin an otherwise perfect day.  People who greet you in the morning at work and complain what of went wrong already; relatives who just smile a little when you tell them about your big raise, promotion or something else exciting.  These people are grains of sand in your life.  The funny thing is that it doesn’t matter whether a friend or a stranger puts the sand in the day, the effect is the same.

Of course sometimes you are related to people who specialize in grains of sand, and you can’t cut them out of your life.  But you can make them aware of what they are doing.  One day, when they are in a good mood tell them the story of the sandy cake.  Then, when they react negatively to your good news, simply say nicely, “Hey, do you know you are putting sand in my cake?”  Maybe then they will fully realize how infective their negative reactions have been – in that sandy direction.

Thank you Gary Stang for giving us a recipe to help eliminate negativity from the mix of your relationships.

Kirk out