In this motivational video, Joe Apfelbaum, CEO of Ajax Union, tackles the common advice to simply cut negative people out of one’s life. He argues that labeling someone as "negative" is itself a negative judgment and that most people labeled this way are simply acting from pain, cynicism, or limiting beliefs. Apfelbaum proposes reframing these individuals as people doing the best they can under their circumstances, viewing them with compassion, and seeking ways to ease their suffering. He explains that our perception of others influences how they behave, so treating someone as an angel or a valuable human can encourage more positive behavior. While acknowledging that constant exposure to toxic attitudes can be draining, he advises setting healthy boundaries—spending limited time with them while maintaining respect, love, and empathy. He also highlights practical contexts such as employees, clients, family members, and networking contacts, suggesting that leaders can improve attitudes by hiring with the right mindset or by supporting existing team members through compassionate leadership. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their own strategies, subscribe, and join his weekly motivational newsletter.
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So what's the best way to deal with negative people that are in your life? Ah, my name is Joe Apfelbaum, CEO of Ajax Union, and I've been on a personal development journey for many years. And what I found is that people that are into personal development often have a different way of viewing the world than most people. You see, 80% of people are living paycheck to paycheck, and if you go around, Looking into people's belief systems, often they have a very cynical belief system. They are resigned from the world, and often they're kind of like, eh, eh, eh. But then there are the people that are super negative, and I've known some people in my life that are extremely, extremely negative, whether it's at networking events, whether it's at business functions, and many different areas. And I find that sometimes you just have to deal with those people. You can't just cut them out. I know There's a lot of videos out there and there's a lot of people that say, just cut the negativity out of your life. You got to find those people and eradicate them. But sometimes it's a parent. Sometimes it's a child. Sometimes it's a client. Sometimes it's somebody who you can't just suddenly just cut off without it having a massive impact in your life and in the life of the people that you love. So, I've heard people say, Joe, you just have to be the best person that you can be and you'll inspire those people that are negative. But let me tell you something, when somebody is stuck in their convictions, when somebody's stuck in their beliefs, and they're always down on themselves, and they're always down on the people around them, and they have habits that are disempowering, and often kind of like Debbie Downers or party poopers, it's really hard to be your best self around those people. So, the way to deal with negative people And I learned this from a coach, actually pretty recently, is not to look at them as negative people. I know that might sound strange, but the fact that you're calling somebody else negative, that means that you're judging that person. That's a negative statement. Saying somebody else is negative is a negative statement. There are no positive people and negative people. There are just people that are doing the best That they can do. And wearing that frame of awareness, instead of just writing people off in your life, oh, that person's negative, and that person's an energy vampire. They might be an energy vampire, they might be extremely negative, but you don't have to view them that way, because people usually show up the way that you view them. If you view somebody as extremely negative and treat them that way, they're going to be even more negative. But if you view somebody as an angel, if you view somebody as an incredible human being, If you view somebody as perfection, well, the chances of them showing up as perfection to be able to mirror the way that you view them, especially if you're a strong dominant leader, is very, very high. If you want to encourage an employee to have a better attitude, well, a sales trainer recently told me, he said, Joe, just hire them that way. That's the best way to get somebody with a better attitude. But if you already hired somebody and you're relying on them right now, until you upgrade that person, and give them a chance to go somewhere else, you have to be able to look at them through the lens of, this is a person who is currently suffering. This is a person who's currently in pain. And how can I ease their pain? How can I make their life a little bit better so that they are not hurting as much? What environment can I create for this person that has to be able to view the world in an extremely cynical and extremely depressed and an ex— An extremely negative way. And ultimately, if you stop looking at people as negative, you yourself will grow as an individual because you'll see your opportunity and your contribution to support this person to be better. So don't just randomly cut people off from your life. Instead, make this world a better place by supporting other people and realizing that every expression is either a form of love or it's a cry for help. And if somebody's being super negative and super pessimistic, it's because they are crying for help. And so be compassionate, have love for the person. You don't have to spend your entire day with them if they bring you down. You don't have to spend your whole life with them, but the time that you do spend with them, treat them with respect, treat them with love, treat them with compassion. Figure out how you can ease their pain, and you're going to feel more powerful, and they're going to react Boom! If you enjoyed this video, give it a like, and in the comments below, let me know what your advice is to deal with negative people in your life. We'd love to hear your opinion in the comments below. And of course, if you enjoyed this, hit the subscribe button and don't forget to hit that bell so that more people can see this and so that you can get notified as well every time we do another video. Thank you very much. Once again, go to www.joeapfelbaum.com and subscribe to my weekly newsletter. I've said this many times, but I I do a weekly newsletter every Sunday that's really motivational, so hope you could subscribe to that and get even more value, and let's stay in touch. Boom!
