glass is half full

I’m definitely a glass-is-half-empty kind of gal. Especially when it’s wine—then someone usually refills it.

People often say, “Why can’t you be more positive?” Here’s the thing: Bug off.

If you’d like me to change, there are much better ways to phrase it than “Why can’t you be more…”

That is just an all-around bad way to ask people to do something. I’ll go as far as to say you’re not asking them anything—you’re sugar-coating an insult.

Not sure about that one? Let me put it into a different context. When you’re a parent, you do not say to your child “Why can’t you be more like your sister?” or “Why can’t you be more athletic?”

You just don’t.

You might say “Did you see how your sister waited patiently in line? She likes to read the names of all the candy bars. Why don’t you try that?” Or “I know you don’t like basketball, soccer, or football but have you thought about karate or fencing or dance?”

So, instead of “Why can’t you be more…” try something else.

“We don’t have any more Chardonnay but, when you finish that, we have a whole bottle of Riesling.”