Staying Positive

Negative events beget more negative events. This is the happenstance of riots. Disgruntled mob feeds on shared frustrations which turn to anger and group acting out. A chant arises from the mob. A banner or placard is raised and shaken in outrage. A window is broken; soon more are smashed. Looting may begin. Soon trash baskets on the street are set afire or tossed into windshields. Cars may soon be overturned and set ablaze.

Some riots are planned of course. Many are not. They are just momentary protests which erupt to something far worse. They take on a life of their own.

The opposite of this is:

            “Beautiful things happen in your life when you distance

            Yourself from all the negative things.”

                                                                        ~ Anonymous

Pull away from the negative. Seek the calm of the ‘middle’ and then move on to find the positive. The lack of negative helps me find the positive, even at dark moments.

Another tactic may be just as simple: build rather than destroy. If what you encounter has already been built and doesn’t work, ignore it and find something to nurture or build from scratch that will work.

There are those who will belittle your labor. They think you are wrong and will obstruct you. Take heart! Your freedom is there to explore and discover. Perhaps this statement will help you on your quest:

            “Freedom is the right to be wrong,

            Not the right to do wrong.”

                                                            ~www.facebook.com/ithinktwice

Let the others learn that lesson on their own! Meanwhile tend to your own tasks.

Along the way you will find many opportunities to mend a wrong, fix a problem, or simply lend a hand for a moment’s assistance. Not only will you feel good about the experience, but you will see yourself in a different light. And observers? They will know the right you are doing. They will see the difference you are making.

Here’s another anonymous gem from the internet:

            “Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.”

It matters much what each of us does. To seek wisdom, to explore doubt, to grow ideas and to build understanding among others. These are the actions that build better futures for all of us – together. Not a contest to acquire wealth or power, just the satisfaction that life has meaning and our own life is a deep part of it all.

Character…freedom…compassion…positive. These are the things that guide us to a future of opportunity and happiness.

And we have the inner strength to use these attributes. Do not be afraid to use them.  Remember what Desmond Tutu has said:

            “If you are neutral in situations of injustice,

            You have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Powerful words. And so very true. May they comfort and motivate us.

Another deep thinker, Albert Einstein said:

            “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of

            Thinking we used when we created them.”

We must try new ways of doing things, new ideas, new combinations of old ideas, etc. We must also find people to work with in these endeavors. A life partner or spouse is irreplaceable. Lovequotespics.tumblr.com gives us this thought:

            “Find a partner who encourages you to grow,

            Who won’t cling to you,

            Who will let you go out into the world,

            And trust that you will come back.”

No one said we had to do this work alone. Thank God for that!

September 27, 2012