Being stuck in a constant state of negativism is a terrible state of mind. Sour and dark thoughts can creep in so easily and if we’re not vigilant, they can start to take over. That’s why its so important that we always be on our guard.
We all know how easy it is to wake up in a bad mood and let that foul mood take over our whole day. Sometimes, it seems easier to let that first taste of negativity contaminate our whole day, rather than to push it aside and focus on the positive. We wrongly convince ourselves that to brighten our mood is harder than it really is. One motivator to keep in mind is to imagine what our lives would be like if we let that dark mood stretch across the whole day…then a week…then a month. It would be awful.
“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” – Proverbs, 4:23
It might at times seem that being positive takes more work than being negative, but it really only seems that way. I came across this story which I feel conveys this sentiment beautifully:
The Whole World Stinks
Wise men and philosophers throughout the ages have disagreed on many things, but many are in unanimous agreement on one point: “We become what we think about.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it this way: “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” In the Bible we find: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
One Sunday afternoon, a cranky grandfather was visiting his family. As he lay down to take a nap, his grandson decided to have a little fun by putting Limburger cheese on Grandfather’s mustache. Soon, grandpa awoke with a snort and charged out of the bedroom saying, “This room stinks.” Through the house he went, finding every room smelling the same. Desperately he made his way outside only to find that “The whole world stinks!”
So it is when we fill our minds with negativism. Everything we experience and everybody we encounter will carry the scent we hold in our mind.
– Author unknown
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “a man is what he thinks about all day long.” If we think stressful, antagonistic, hostile and dark thoughts all day long, that is what we become — creepingly, those bad thoughts consume us and that is what we become…negative, aggressive, angry and bitter.
However, if we’re mindful, when we first sense those dark, negative thoughts, we can consciously banish them and replace them with bright, positive, hopeful thoughts…and that is what we become. Its important to remember that while negative thoughts are just part of life, so is our ability to control them, banish them and forbid them from taking over.
“People with a positive attitude are influenced by what goes on within them. People with a negative attitude are influenced by what goes on around them.” – Keith Harrell
“A bad attitude can literally block love, blessings, and destiny from finding you. Don’t be the reason you don’t succeed.” – Mandy Hale
