“Cynic” –that’s what my keychain used to say. And I was proud of
it. People were motivated by self-interest, I was sure. And day
after day, my life proved it. Honestly, while I thought it
prepared me for the tough and gritty life I was living at the
time, it was debilitating and exhausting. Part of the problem
was that my group of friends were cynical, too, and what we look
at and live with, we become. It was almost by accident that I
met someone who was deeply happy. My reaction? Suspicion. But
that moment was the starting point of a better life. It was a
hard climb on a dusty road. And one that I am grateful for every
day. Research shows that we need about a five-to-one ratio of
positive to negative feedback to be productive. Here are some
other statistics: - 65 percent of American workers say they
received no recognition for their work in the last year. - 22
million workers are not interested in their work or actively
dislike it. - Bad bosses increase the risk of stroke by 33
percent. - When you tell yours