3 Things to Steer Clear Of

Fostering negativity is as wise as walking alone in a bad neighborhood at night. The chances of coming out of either unscathed is questionable. Negativity is an undeniable aspect of life that left unnoticed drags one through misery. Just as the eyes are drawn to an accident, there is a temptation to wallow in misfortune. Many among us have spent enough time there to be familiar with the experience. Mine was the story of the victim.

The sad tale of an abandoned child. It was used to justify the rage I carried as a young adult. It supported feeling righteous and hid my part behind excuses Seeing life as a victim  made acts of anger at others acceptable, even deserved. 

Another sink hole to avoid is negative imagination. This is where bad outcomes are conjured in the mind, one after another. It is me making up what something means, what someone thinks, maybe what they will do.  The mind plays out unwanted scenarios spinning problems in every direction. It did not occur to me to imagine what I wanted. My default position was to imagine the worst outcomes, the ones I didn’t want.

The third, for today, is resentments. They show up often when feeling  obligated (it’s the right thing to do) and not appreciated. It can be the agreement to do something and later feeling duped, used, and/or unappreciated. Like a slight of hand misdirection it keeps the focus external. Resentments are sometimes the result of not being able to say no when I need to. And, as long as I focus on them, I am not figuring out how I might have set my boundaries.

How do you stay out of negativity? 
It would be wonderful to know how you combat any of these scenarios.