For our world to change, we must first change ourselves, and then that change will be reflected in the outside world.
I didn’t used to understand what I’ve just written; I used to hope that situations would change, improve, and that I’d see positive things and people, but that never happened. I also used to think that happiness depended on things outside myself.
The shift in my thinking didn’t happen overnight; it was a process, one I embraced, even though it meant facing some very difficult truths about my life. I wanted the truth, and that came at a cost, but I accepted the consequences. I had to go through that process if I wanted other things in my life.
One of them was the sort of people I surrounded myself with or who came into my life. Before, I couldn’t even recognise a negative person; I was so immersed in a negative environment that it seemed normal to me. And worst of all, negativity attracts more negativity, creating a vicious circle. I had to break that circle, but I couldn’t find a way.
People who talk constantly about illness, politics, chaos, problems; who complain even about the sun or the rain; who complain about everything, even the nice things; people for whom everything is a problem and there’s never anything nice to talk about; or people who always look grumpy, as if they were angry all the time. That seemed normal to me, but it wasn’t.
And when someone positive approached me, it felt like a rare sight, like a rainbow you only see once in a blue moon. And worst of all, only negative people would approach me, people with problems and nothing nice to say. The solution lay in changing myself. I had a huge task ahead of me.
Today I can spot positive people, negative people, and even toxic ones, because they do exist , and there are plenty of them. But by changing myself, the sort of people who approach me has changed. If I give off positive vibes, I’ll attract positivity; conversely, if I give off negative vibes, I’ll attract the same. That’s why the change had to come from me.
I’ve learnt to develop my reaction to people over time, and that’s what has allowed me to distance myself from negative people or not let them get to me. How I react makes all the difference. The way I react today is how I began practising years ago to bring about the change.
When someone approaches me with negative thoughts, actions or words, I shift my mindset, turning what they said into something positive or looking at the bright side of the situation, and I tell them so.
Usually, if that person doesn’t want to let go of that negativity, one of two things happens: either they walk away or they change the subject. And my reaction to what they say is not to give it any importance. If I do, I’m giving attention to what they said or did, and focusing on something negative only amplifies it. To prevent that from happening, you mustn’t give it any attention. For example, if they talk to me about politics or the economic crisis or something similar, I try to find a positive aspect and mention it; if not, I simply switch to another topic that’s more powerful but positive, sidestepping the negative subject.
If someone comes across as negative, even if they haven’t said or done anything , I keep my distance or speak as little as possible, and I don’t take what they say too seriously. People like that will always see everything as a disaster. That way, I protect my peace of mind and don’t give energy to such things; they’re not worth it.
If I meet positive people, that’s brilliant. I keep the conversation going, we laugh, I spend time with them, and that positive energy multiplies; that’s the best part of all, because not only do we benefit, but so do many others. You can feel it in the atmosphere.
Often, and I say this because I’ve experienced it, the environment in which one lives, the surroundings, doesn’t allow for positivity; it’s as if it were crushing us, and no matter how much goodwill one has, it’s very difficult. And I understand that perfectly. That’s why I can understand so much of what people go through, because I was in that situation. Negativity is overwhelming; it’s like a fog that covers everything, and you can’t see the way out, and you sink deeper and deeper into the darkness. I was like that.
But sometimes people appear who are like angels along the way, and if we follow them, we can climb out of that pit, if we let ourselves be guided. If I come across positive people, and of course this happens frequently now, it’s because I attract them, so my reaction is to foster that interaction. With negative people, I only have superficial, fleeting conversations, if I can’t avoid them altogether. With positive people, I have deep conversations about profound topics.
And I’ll say briefly that focusing on the positive brings that inner peace I spoke of earlier, and that leads to happiness, which lies within us and not outside, nor in things or other people. Happiness should not be sought outside oneself, but within. Part of this is achieved through deep self-knowledge, by letting go of mistaken beliefs and unhelpful patterns that hold us back from reaching that happiness.
Happiness is feeling at ease with oneself, comfortable in solitude, for example, and this is achieved by knowing and loving ourselves; otherwise, we cannot love anyone else. We cannot give what we are not. That is why happiness does not come from outside, and I found that happiness by getting to know myself deeply.
Positivity brings peace of mind, serenity and joy, and therefore happiness. Thank you 
Thank you all very much for reading today; I hope you have a lovely weekend. See you soon.
Amonet.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
