Positive or Negative?

Positive or Negative--


Let's visit about all the positives in our lives.  Heaven knows, we hear much about the negatives in this world.  This is written from my viewpoint--which is subject to change without my knowing it!:).  Hopefully, you can take from what I share and apply it to your own life and situation.

My heart hurts for those who have been damaged by life.  Actually, we all have.  No one lives on this earth without experiencing a fair amount of negatives.  Sometimes it comes from our upbringing.  Other times it comes from those we meet and form relationships with.  It can arrive on our doorstep through those who have control over us in the workplace.  You name the  place-negatives can be found.

So, it requires a new mindset to turn those negatives into positives.  This is difficult work.  We are the sum total of all our experiences.  Those experiences that were hurtful tend to hang around in our heads much longer than those positive affirmations we receive.  I have never understood that dynamic.  The ability to reverse trends means we have made the choice to no longer be the victim.  How wonderful that is.  It may mean that our mind is in a good place when negatives arrive on our scene.  That good place allows us to move beyond the negative.  It allows us to know that we are of value, and that we don't need another person to tell us.  We know it from the inside out.

Remember--I am writing from my place in this world.

A huge positive in my life is the ability to make choices.  Sometimes the choices are shallow--what color shall I paint the new bathroom.  Shall we use stone instead of ceramic?  Where shall I plant that new bush?  Shall I do the laundry today or tomorrow?  Shall I mop the floor or clean the blinds this week or next?  Those types of choices give me the feeling of control.  I get to make the choice if and when I will start or complete the choices that make up my world.

Other choices have a much deeper ring to them.  Shall I phone a friend?  Shall I pray about a situation that is hurtful?  Shall I hug a person who needs the human touch?  Shall I extend myself to a new person?  Shall I do the very hard work of evaluating my own beliefs with the intent of making changes should I find some that are not working for me or anyone else?  Shall I be open to new ideas that are quite different from those I have had for a long time?  Shall I listen?

To my mind, all of the above are positive.  They all mean change for the better can be on the way if I allow it to happen.  It seems to me we all hold on tightly to some things that we should let go.  It is a very positive action when we take a hurt and allow it to drift away on the wind.  When the person on the other end of the phone answers and recognizes our voice, the joy that is heard is so very positive.  We have no idea how many people are in a place of need.  Sometimes they sit at the next desk.  Sometimes they live next door.  Maybe they are way across country.  If we are honest, we are in that place of need, too.  What a positive feeling we receive when we reach out from the comfort of our own scheduled lives and touch another.

A positive attitude spreads to everyone.  It is like sunlight.  It goes everywhere.  Sunlight doesn't make choices where to shine.  It just does.  We all benefit from the warmth it brings.  Sure, summer can be a bit hot, but where would we be without the sun?  Our positive attitude spreads like that.  Others can be caught up in our joy and feel a sense of lightness, too.  What about those negative folks we find in residence around us?  Well, they may always be that way.  But, that doesn't mean that they get to determine my attitude.  Or your attitude.  Being positive doesn't mean we don't recognize negatives.  It means we have made the choice about the direction our life will take.  Easy?  No.  Possible?  Yes.

Sometimes I simply want to lash out at those who are negative.  How much fun it would be to speak those words that are lurking just below the surface of my mind.  Boy--could I fix them!  It can take all the strength of character we have to refrain from responding in a negative manner.  We hear one voice in our head telling us to go ahead--give it to them!  And then there is that other voice that is almost a whisper.  It reminds us that being positive brings more goodness into the world.  What do we do?  Lash out or wait and think?  What have you done in that situation?  We have probably been on both sides of that fence.  We don't have to live on the negative side, do we?  We need to climb the fence and plant our feet on the positive side.

Friends, family, faith, a place to live, a husband/wife, a partner, a job, enough food with some to share, a loving spirit, the ability to turn a wrong into a right, looking at the earth as our precious habitat and desiring to make it better, taking care of the business that comes into view everyday, being trustworthy, being dependable--all of these and so much more are the positives of our lives.

When you have time, make a list of the positives in your life.  Get several sheets of paper!  You will need them.  Delve deeply into your life.  Look beyond the obvious.  And then take another sheet and list the negatives.  My guess is this list will be much shorter.  That should get your attention.  Determine if you are giving more time and energy to the negatives than the positives.  Then go about making the necessary changes that will bring more positive energy into your life.  Everyone will benefit from this activity.

Now, I am positively going to get dressed and do something fun!  Talk again soon.