- How can you be positive when being bombarded by negative messages?
- How can you stay positive when many people around you are negative and ungrateful?
I watched an old movie a few months ago. The lyrics to one of the songs on the soundtrack were, “Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, but don’t mess with mister in between”. How can we be positive when there are so many things that tend to push our thoughts in a negative direction? We need to be aware of what is happening in the world around us, but a lot of what we see and hear on broadcast or social media is bad news.
Here’s a thought, is it the media? Or is it us? Broadcast media wants high ratings. Bad or controversial news appears to generate higher ratings and revenues. Social media is even better at giving us more of what we want to see. I am a football fan. There are two professional teams that I follow. I get tons of posts about them. My wife enjoys crafting. She searches for information about how to make things from picture frames to quilts. Our perceptions of trending issues differ based on our search preferences.
Negative news cannot be avoided, nor should it be. If there are dangerous persons in your neighborhood, you want to know about them to stay out of harm’s way. But if there is too much negative energy you can choose to assuage it. The following story illustrates this point. A man was moving to a new town. He stopped at a gas station along the way. He asked the attendant, “What are the people like in the town ahead? The attendant asked, what were the people like in the town you left? He said they were nice and kind. The attendant said you’ll find the same people there. A few hours later another man stops at the same gas station. He asks the attendant the same question the previous traveler asked. Just like before, the attendant asked, “What were the people like in the town you left?” The man said, “They were mean and nasty.” The attendant said, “You’ll find the same people in the town you are going to.” The moral of the story is evident.
We can be consumed by negative thoughts from time to time, but if we tolerate and accommodate these thoughts, they will negatively influence our overall mental and physical health. This can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. It can also make it difficult to achieve goals, succeed in relationships, and enjoy life. That is why we need to learn ways to deal with the negative forces surrounding us. Be the energy you want to attract. A negative mind will never allow you to have a positive life,
What can you do to stay positive in a negative environment?