Negativity

Why do we as a society give negativity the time of day? Are we conditioned to seek out the negative side of the issue? If there are 100 people in an audience of a play and 99 of them loved the production yet one did not; do we focus on the one or the ninety-nine? Why does all headline news seem to be negative? In fact of a 35 minute news broadcast at least 90% is negative and the rest is sports and weather. I don't have the answers for these questions I can only express my opinion.

From birth most of us have been conditioned with negativity; such as "don't touch that", "don't eat that", "don't go there", "I don't like your friends", "why can't you be more like your sibling", etc.. Again this is my opinion and not necessarily what has happened in my life. My parents were more positive than negative and I try to be this way with my children. We (the collective we!) get used to negative issues and let's face it negative news sells. Who wants to hear about the aid workers in Africa helping the starving children when we can focus on whether or not Michael Jackson molested those little boys. Who wants to know about the social workers in the United States barely making ends meet that are helping so many less fortunate people when we can focus on whether Brad left Jennifer for Angelina. I don't know why we are like this but this seems like a very normal practice.

Early on in my recovery I was told by a very good friend don't let the negative people get to you because they will bring you down. This statement is so very true; I have so much to be thankful for in this world and I won't let those negative people get to me. I say screw them (actually I was thinking of another word but I don't want profanity in my blog so I will stay with screw!!) they will not get to me. I have so many positive influences in my life each and every day it feels so good. I know what I have done is wrong and I will suffer the consequences; however; I know I am headed in the right direction and I will try to instill positive energies in everything I do.

I had a wonderful day; I spent the entire day with my family and friends of ours. Life is worth living and it is worth living with a positive purpose. I intend to keep living one positive day at a time.