It’s easy to say let’s all weed out the negativity in our lives, but negativity finds a way into our lives either externally or internally throughout our lifetime. What we do with it is what counts – do we react, respond, or do we harbor it?
- Harboring negative thoughts or activities can not only affect us mentally and physically, but can become a pattern of how we go through life.
- Reacting to negativity can cause you to say or do something you may regret and can even result in making you feel worse.
- Responding to the negative events in your life can mean you’ve given those things some thought and have chosen a positive solution.
My first line of attack when I begin to worry or feel stressed is to remind myself of the positive things in my life that I am thankful for. I actually made a list a few years ago (I call it my Victory List) that I can pull out when life seems too demanding. The list includes a number of everyday things that make me smile, such as appreciating nature, flowers, good weather, as well as rain, to more significant occurrences with friends and family, or being cancer-free and healthy and back on a healthy path.
Also, I don’t classify all negative occasions as being bad and can even say I’m even thankful for some “negative” things. I’m not sure who first said “Turn obstacles into opportunities”, but it taught me to look for the ‘opportunity’ in everything. – opportunity to learn, opportunity to grow, opportunity to live a happier, healthier, stronger and faith-based life.
You can start by practicing looking for the opportunity even in small occurrences. Begin weeding out things in your life by taking everything into consideration and turning the negative events into something useful for a positive, prosperous and successful future.