In my last blog I wrote about bad apples spoiling things for everyone else. At times it can feel amazing to have a scape goat - to be able to lift the burden of responsibility from your shoulders and place it on someone else. But in doing so we do ourselves a great disservice. We limit our own reach, our own ability to affect the world around us. We accept our negative circumstances and allow them to continue unabated.

Victor Frankl, author of the incredible book Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote about how he thought the Statue of Liberty should be balanced by an equal symbol, a Statue of Responsibility. We all need reminders now and then that the one person we can rely on to take responsibility to turn a bad situation into something good or a good situation into something great is ourselves.

In the case of dealing with the bad apple there are numerous paths to take. Deflect their negativity by focusing conversations and work flow away from them. Call them out and tell them that criticism and negativism isn’t welcome. Remove yourself by avoiding them or leaving the situation in which you see them. If it is in your power, let them go. When people are miserable where they are and making things miserable for those around them, sometimes the best thing you can do for them is to release them to pursue a better fit elsewhere.

The one thing that doesn’t help is choosing to do nothing. Your hopelessness will only empower the negativity to continue. I know having a scape goat can feel great when standing at the water cooler, but do your self a favor. Take some responsibility to go with your liberty. Maybe you’ll turn the person around. The world could use a few less bad apples.