Negativity is seductive. All too easily we spend our day ruminating on frustrations, shortcomings, and all the things that might go wrong tomorrow. We must regularly discipline ourselves to think on those things that are good, true, and beautiful.
Once we get passed our general platitudes, it seems much easier to gripe and complain about our day than to share heartfelt gratitude for the good.
We might even try to outdo each other in having the worst day. And news outlets and social media tend to only intensify this negative spiral.
While it’s very easy to slide into stinking thinking, it’s also true we get what we ask for. The more we willfully consume negative thinking the more it will dominate our lives.
But the reverse is also true. We can actively cultivate better thoughts – choosing to meditate on those things that are beautiful and worthy of praise.
This is not ignoring hard realities. But it’s not neglecting the good either.
To be sure, this is a good daily practice – turning our hearts time and again throughout the day to those things that inspire, nurture, and bring joy to our souls.
And holidays provide another opportunity.
While it’s easy to get lost in the hustle of shopping and planning, holidays do provide a touch of magic – pulling us out of our everydayness and bringing us back to wonder and joy.
But even here we must allow for it – basking in the gathering, the good eats, and all the pomp and circumstance of the season.
We add to the cloud of darkness around us when we allow negativity to overtake us. But we become bringers of light as we allow our hearts to ponder and muse on what is good.
Become a source of joy and love throughout your life by regularly thinking on what is good and beautiful.
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
