Stepping over Our Wounds

Sometimes we have to "step over" our anger, our jealousy, or our feelings of rejection and move on.
The temptation is to get stuck in our negative emotions, poking around in them as if we belong there.
Then we become the "offended one," "the forgotten one," or the "discarded one."
Yes, we can get attached to these negative identities and even take morbid pleasure in them.
It might be good to have a look at these dark feelings and explore where they come from, but there comes a moment to step over them, leave them behind and travel on.

-- Henri Nouwen

Don't Curse The Darkness

It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
-- Chinese Proverb

With all the negativity that surrounds us, it is easy to become overwhelmed.
It is also tempting to fight against the negative or to declare war on it.
Yet a master teacher offered a better way: "Resist not evil, but overcome evil with good."
Imagine you are in a dark room.
Wanting the darkness to leave, you curse and fight against it.
But no matter how much effort you make, the darkness remains.
Turn on the light switch, however, and the night vanishes in an instant.
In a similar manner, when the light of truth is shed on a situation, fear and disharmony dissolve.
When you send out a positive thought to another person or take a constructive action, an enormous amount of good is accomplished.
Each good act begets another until a network of love and light is created.
The purpose of life is to reflect this light into places that are dark.
Let your light shine and stay focused on the power of love.
When enough of us have turned on our spiritual light switches, the earth will become as bright as a shining star.
Where, then, could darkness dwell?

Listening to Your Inner Voice by Douglas Bloch

Negative Pull

Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.

Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there's no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.

A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.

-- DailyOM