Ever had someone give you bad news? Do you want good news? What is the difference, or is it a matter of opinion?

Good news is stuff or information that makes you happy, content, secure, and validated.

Bad news = the opposite.

The good news and the bad news are different. Let’s continue reading.

Do you remember getting bad news and then finding out that things turned out better than you thought? What if you received good news, but it turned out that the good news you thought was good ended up not being so great?

Personal experience has taught me that I’ve experienced all four.

It was great news.

Bad news.

Good news I thought was good, but it ended up being terrible.

Bad news that I thought would be bad ended up being good.

Still confused? This is because I am sure that I was confused over the apparent contradictions of these messages. It was then that I realized that bad news sometimes can be perceived by one person as good news, and that good news to one person over the course of time can be perceived negatively.

Confused? Let me explain.

It’s all news in the end. The news is just that. What makes it bad, good, neutral, or even okay? It’s how we perceive, judge, value, and react to it.

Perhaps you are wondering how someone can see bad news as being good. Or the other way around, what could make someone think that good news is bad?

In short, everyone has a different history, experience, beliefs, values and so we see things and situations differently.

An impatient person might see delays as worse than someone who is a worrier or negative or pessimistic.

In the end, everything happens. What we do is interpret what happens based upon our expectations, goals or needs. Every person’s situation is unique.

Let me tell you about a few personal examples. Let me give you a few examples that you might relate to, even though your life may not be the same.

Prior to starting my speaking career and training, I was a senior sales manager for an international company. This is the long story. I had an argument with my boss, president, and was fired. This is bad news. That was the last thing I needed in order to decide that it was time for me to start a 40-year career that has taken me around the world, allowing me to visit 25 countries and working with some amazing clients. In the end, this was good news.

Another quick one.

Years ago, I proposed and she agreed to marry me. Are you happy? (Please don’t make any judgments. After trying my best for more fifteen years, I realized it was time to let it go. I will spare you the details. The relationship was gradually eroding me self-esteem, confidence, optimism, and mindset. I decided I didn’t like the person I was becoming in that situation. We parted. But we parted. Good news is that I was eventually able emotionally and spiritually to recover everything that I had lost.