We live in tumultuous times and there’s plenty to be angry about in the world today. All we have to do is tune into mainstream media or scroll through our Facebook or Twitter feeds to see a flurry of hate, envy, anger, disgust, and outrage. Negativity is as large of an epidemic as the current pandemic and in some ways is even more contagious. People have become addicted to negativity and are drawn to it again and again, like a drug.
Unless you’re willing to completely retreat from society and become a hermit there’s no escaping the negativity. Some feelings of negativity are just and provide a catalyst for change. Other forms of negativity provide a roadmap to us for our own self-improvement. We must learn to not only manage these feelings but also learn to listen to what these feelings of negativity are trying to tell us about ourselves. It’s imperative to our own well-being that we figure this out.
Science is beginning to prove that negative emotions, if left unchecked, are like poison to both the mental and physical health of the person who holds onto them. Holding onto negativity for any length of time can lead to a multitude of mental and medical problems like depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and even cancer. We must learn to master these negative emotions and release them or they will master us by stealing away our personal power, life balance, and destroying our inner peace.
How can we successfully manage our negative feelings?
- We can take the reactive approach and attempt to quell anger that already exists inside of us through regular meditation; or
- We can take it a step further and try to get to the root of why certain behaviors and situations trigger our negative emotions to begin with.
I recommend both #1 and #2.
Thought Exercise
Take a few moments to think of a person in recent days that has annoyed you in some way, even the example seems vague or insignificant. What exact traits and behaviors in that person angered or annoyed you? Now think about whether or not you yourself exhibit the same behavior that you’re despising in the other person. Is there a time when you did the same thing yourself?
Although it’s often unconscious, we recognize our own flaws and deficiencies and this makes it easier to recognize these traits in others and we often hate them for it. When we experience hate or anger the source or trigger of these negative emotions often represent everything we wish we weren’t. Also, when we feel envy or jealousy the trigger of these emotions represent things that we wish we were or things we wish we had. Pause a moment to think about that.
Ego, Friend or Foe?
At first your ego will try to create a smokescreen by manifesting excuses and denial. Your ego is a great deceiver and probably the largest roadblock to your own self-improvement. However, if you sift through the excuses the truth will become more clear. With patience and courage to face the truth, we can begin to work on improving these negative aspects of ourselves.
Again, when you experience anger/hate the steps are:
- Focus on the negative emotion. Pinpoint the exact behavior in others that triggers feelings of anger/hate;
- Identify that behavior in yourself. In what ways do you exhibit the same behavior? Think of a precise example.
- Work on self-improvement. Make it a mission to try to fix these aspects of yourself. By doing so you’ll kill the anger/hate at its very roots.
Now repeat this process with every negative emotion you feel. Of course, this won’t eliminate all instances of negative emotion, sometimes people are just assholes, but it will get rid of a lot of them and will give you a much greater understanding of yourself in the process.
Meditation
If you discover the feelings of negativity aren't rooted in yourself the following meditation/affirmation is a great way to eliminate the poison of negativity and prevent damage to your mental and physical health.
Find a quiet place that will be free from distractions. Sit upright in a comfortable chair with your eyes closed and concentrate on your breath for a count of thirty...to breathe properly for meditation just remember,
- Inhale through your nose for a count of five (sniff the flower), as you breathe in imagine positive energy and bright white light filling up your body;
- hold the breath for a count of 5 (pause), feel the positive energy coursing through your being;
- exhale from your mouth for a count of 7 (blow out the candle), as you breathe out feel the negativity escaping through your breath.
.
Affirmation
Repeat the following lines:
Whisper words of sadness, release them from your soul.
Watch each sorrow take its flight, feel what it is to be whole.
Embrace the calm, revel in peace, absence of pain, all worries cease.
You deserve every happiness, you deserve to be free.
Whisper these words in perfect peace and you will forever after be.
After you recite the lines of this poem, linger in the feelings of serenity for a few minutes. Focus entirely on the peace you feel and ways in which you can improve your own behavior and become a better version of yourself.
Did you miss previous installments of the Mindful Moments Series? If so, you can find them here:
1 - Two Week Media Fast;
2 - Worry and Fear;
3 - Setting Boundaries, ;
4 - Self Care.;
5 - Listening To Understand;
6 - How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything;
7 - Fear and Worry;
8 - Law of Attraction; and
9 - Stop Giving Your Power Away.
I wish you all a peaceful and healthy week!
With Gratitude,
~ Eric Vance Walton ~
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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