There’s a quiet pattern worth naming: the tendency for some people to spread their own negativity like a virus — dragging everyone around them down in the process. It shows up as complaints and excuses dressed up as realism, quietly convincing others that mediocrity is simply the norm. It’s a toxic trend, and it’s worth calling out.

Picture this: you’re at work or school, tackling something with real energy and intention, when someone steps in to tell you it’s impossible, or too hard. Maybe they’re moving slowly, or they’ve never found an efficient way through it — but instead of trying to improve, they’d rather infect you with their pessimism. It’s the equivalent of convincing an eagle to think like a hen, content to scratch in the dirt instead of soaring.

This isn’t limited to work or school. It shows up in how we approach life itself. Take healing — we’ve all lived through hard seasons, whether it’s a breakup or the everyday weight of adulthood. But instead of moving forward, some people would rather dwell in their pain and pull others in with them. That’s not how this works.

Then there are the people who’ve given up on kindness altogether, burned one too many times by people who didn’t reciprocate. But kindness was never about what comes back to you — it’s about making the world a little better, one small act at a time.

It’s also worth naming the glorification of sacrificing sleep and nutrition in the name of productivity. Burning the midnight oil or skipping meals has somehow become a badge of honor, as if self-neglect were proof of ambition. Rest and nourishment are foundational to real, sustained success — not obstacles to it. No goal is worth trading your well-being for in the long run.

The suggestion here is simple: take ownership of your own actions and attitude. If you’re feeling unmotivated, that’s yours to work through. If you’re hurting, process it without passing it on to everyone around you. And if something doesn’t feel valuable to you, that’s your perspective to hold — not one to impose.

Let’s break the cycle of misery loves company, one positive influence at a time. Let’s be the eagles that soar, not the hens that stay in the dirt — and remember that we each hold the power to shape our own attitude, regardless of what anyone else tries to hand us.

As Tabitha Brown would say: have a good day — but if you can’t, don’t you dare go messing up somebody else’s.

Faith Olaniyi
Humanity Advocate
www.faitholaniyi.com
IG: @faith_olaniyi