I recently called my elderly father. In the conversation I mentioned some bad news about the country’s state of affairs. Very calmly, my father stopped me and asked “do we need to talk about this?” He is well informed, still reads his newspaper and watches the news every day. But a few years ago, he and his wife deliberately decided not to talk about negative things anymore. Within a short time I could see the difference in his physical and emotional health. Needless to say, our conversation changed and we both felt better.
As the saying goes, what you focus on grows…
When we join the chorus of moans and groans, we quickly find more and more things to be unhappy about. In this choir we easily learn the tunes and the words. And we are getting more and more supporters to join the chorus. And every day we add more songs to the repertoire.
In that chorus, we end up in a cycle of negativity that quickly builds momentum. In reality, we train our brain and develop a habit to become better at it. It becomes a filter or a lens through which we see and interpret reality. Every action and every habit has consequences. After a while we start dancing and acting to the tunes of the songs we sing. We actually become the manifestation of the songs and spread the smell of negativity and stress everywhere. Then our world and life become more and more difficult and dark.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can choose to start or join another choir. One where we gratefully share good stories, where we happily count our blessings and encourage others to do the same. The words and tunes of this type of chorus will be a little more difficult to learn and get used to at first. But once you get used to it, it becomes quite easy and very enjoyable.
I’m not saying that you should ignore reality and start living in some dream world. But maybe: look at the way you look at reality. See it in perspective and make sure you notice all the great things that are good and beautiful. And train your brain to help you to make good plans, find solutions and achieve positive goals to create a happy and productive life.
May you finish this last shift of 2022 with positivity and oomph. This time of year can be beautiful, but then you have to choose to be a beautiful person from the inside out. Let’s count our blessings, say thank you many times, and be hopeful and brave about 2023!
I wish you a blessed Christmas full of love and that you will make 2023 a fruitful year to grow and flourish!
