Ever notice how you can be in great spirits and you get a phone call from one of the negative people in your life and it just sours your entire mood? What about people who constantly complain about everything in their lives, including all the people in it and never have anything good to say?
Those who have been around me long enough know that a common phrase of mine is "Guard your gates!" What I mean by that is be careful what and WHO you expose yourself to! Bad attitudes of others and other negative energy just fights against your positive energy and if you are not careful, you will find yourself unhappy too! Whoever said first that "misery loves company" definitely knew what they were talking about!
There are a few ways you can protect your positive space. First, you have to recognize the sources. Pay attention to your emotions. When you are happy, make a note of what made you feel happy. When you find yourself feeling upset, make a note of that as well. Next, adjust your attitude. Many times its how we look at things that determines the degree they will affect us and also how quickly we will recover from them. A lot of us go through life just letting things upset us and acting as if we have no control over the affects others have on us. This is not true. You have to protect your space like a guard dog and be determined that you will not give anyone that kind of power over you. This does not happen overnight, trust me! It takes practice. Since no one is perfect, there may be times you are caught off guard but the key is being more aware of your environment and the people around you and take an honest assessment of what is positive and what is not!
You do not have to be anyone's garbage can! That is exactly how you act when you continue to allow others to dump their negativity on you. It's time to put the lid on the can. We each have to be accountable for our own actions. I am by no means telling you to turn your back on anyone but a person has to be willing to change for themselves. Encourage them, pray for them but sometimes you will find that the best thing to do is limit or even eliminate the time you spend with them. If they are keeping you from moving forward in life and keeping you from growing, sometimes you have to make the hard decision to let them go. The choice will always be yours!
If you want more positive energy in your life, you will need to make a conscious effort to focus and meditate on the positive things you want more of. This is why I asked you to write down the things that make you happy earlier. Avoid the things that make you unhappy. Do not think about them. Instead think about what brings you JOY! Hopefully I have shared a few tips that will help someone, even if only one. I am extremely thankful to be at a place where I can focus on my blessings and just being happy. That does not mean that things do not happen that I would not like in life. It just means I have made the decision that come what may, I will not allow it to keep me at a place of unhappiness. I have so much to be thankful for.
Wishing you all a year filled with JOY, blessings and love!
Until next time!
I am
MzV
