I go to great lengths to minimize the amount of negativity that I am exposed to. It’s virtually impossible to shield myself from all of it because there is so much of it around. Right now, given the upcoming election, it is at a heightened level, given that the candidates (not just Presidential but for all kinds of seats) seem to focus more on why NOT to elect the other person than why they should be elected.
This post isn’t about politics though, it’s really about focus. Being negative is focusing on what you don’t want and what you don’t like. It’s good to be clear about what you don’t want, but to focus on it doesn’t help anything. It’s much like problem-solving. Once a problem is identified, from that moment forward the focus should be about the solution. Thinking solution is the positive side.
Negativity saps joy and it kills creativity. It’s like a virus…spend some time around a negative person and you don’t feel all that good afterwards. If your not careful, it will affect the next interaction because you have a bit of the negative infection…then its spreads to the next person.
I would encourage you to minimize your exposure to negative stuff. I’m not saying to put your head in the sand and pretend the world is perfect. It’s not and it never will be. I’m saying that you can know about the negative stuff in the world without studying it and letting it seep into your soul. I scan the newspaper. I scan the internet. I see what’s happening, but I don’t read the depth of the negative stuff.
From a people perspective, there are people in your life who are negative that you have no choice but to interact with, ie family and co-workers. Refuse to climb into the cesspool. Be the positive voice. But the people you aren’t forced to interact with? If they are negative (I mean in general), move on and find some new friends!
I get also that no one likes everything about the way things are in the town they live in or the State they live in or the country they live in. If they live in a developed nation, they might try focusing on the other side of things. Like all the positive aspects of living in that town, State, or Country. If they can’t find enough to make it feel good…move. People aren’t trees. We are free to go where we will like it. But I would submit, if we are focused on what we don’t like in the current situation, moving to a new situation will ultimately end up the same way, because we are still the same.
There is at least as much to be thankful for as there is to complain about. If everyone focused on the positive side while they worked to make the changes they want, the entire planet would be a better place for it. It takes purposeful energy at first to shift our thinking from the half empty glass to the half full, but it’s doable. Feed your mind good stuff, be thankful for how good you have it, think about all your blessings, consider all your opportunities, smile as much as you can, and minimize your exposure to negativity and gradually you will see a difference. This video below is one I recorded a few years ago, and while it was specifically about immigration and opportunity, the lesson is in line with what I mean.
