I don’t read the paper. I don’t listen to the news.

In fact, I’ll go a step further. I won’t read the paper and I won’t listen to the news. There’s so much torment and tragedy, murder and misery, nothing but story after story about man’s inhumanity to man, about horrible accidents, Acts of God that cause death and destruction. 

Do I really need to hear every possible rotten, awful thing that has happened out there? Does it add anything to my life? Will I be worse off for not knowing about these terrible incidents?

No.

I figure that if there’s anything I really need to know, like the sky is falling or Armageddon’s happening after dinner on Tuesday, someone will tell me. 

Here’s the Thing: Every time you expose yourself to negativity, it has an adverse affect on your health on all levels. You might not feel it immediately but the cumulative effects of negativity can be lethal — literally.

The good news: You can lots of control over what you consume in terms of articles, videos, TV and films, the company you keep, the books you read, and the thoughts you think. 

You might even consider yourself to be a positive person. But the more you immerse yourself in content or people with a negative focus, the more that toxic energy rubs off on you. You might not even notice the negative attitudes you hold or comments you make. 

Fear is an especially powerful negatively-focused emotion, and there’s been an awful lot of that since…well, since spring of 2020, and I don’t want to elaborate because that’s one massively emotionally-charged negative topic that already gets way too much attention.

Fear makes people say and do crazy stuff. It drives anger, jealousy, and insecurity. It is at the root of irrational choices and behaviours. It destroys relationships, kills hope, shatters dreams, and devours souls. 

Even if you’re Little Mary Sunshine on the outside but you’re choking on fear on the inside, it’s gonna get you. It’s insidious and it’ll make you sick.

Fear breeds like mice — i.e. at an insane rate of speed. Once it takes hold, it’s easy to go down terrifying rabbit holes. 

Presto, you’ve invited in a whole lot of negativity.

So what can you do?

I told a journalist friend once that I thought I ought to start up a newspaper that was full of only good news. He said it wouldn’t sell because people want the blood and guts (my words, not his, but that was the general idea). He said good news doesn’t (or wouldn’t) sell papers.

Wish I’d done it because since then, several have popped up online and are quite popular. It wasn’t the first great idea I had but didn’t act on for one reason or another, and someone else ran with it later. 

I’m not surprised those “good news newspapers” are doing well. 

Some of us want to be surrounded by positivity. Some of us want to know the good news, the happy events, the wonderful moments and miracles that are happening in the world. Some of us want to be uplifted by the beauty that exists in the perfect stories of love and kindness that are taking place around us, especially when they happen between strangers.

Some of us prefer to be connected with light and lovely positive energy that allows growth and movement, rather than heavy, oppressive, negative energy that keeps us stuck and stagnant.

I refuse to give attention to the negatives in my life or my environment, above and beyond what is absolutely essential in order to deal with certain issues. Beyond that, negative thoughts are chased away and replaced by positive ones. 

If I find myself wandering into contemplations about anything that is distressing or upsetting — particularly if it’s nothing I am able to change — I dismiss it, focusing instead on what I want — and not on what I don’t want

I’ve spent — or rather wasted — far too much of my life enduring and choking on negatives already. I refuse to give that rubbish any more of my precious moments because they would only harm me. They would not add anything to my life; they would only take from it. 

Well, they would if I let them. But I won’t.

Instead, I am immersed in sparkling, radiant, shimmering, positive energy of the purest kind. I will not feed the demons that thrive on negative energy; I let them starve to death, bloody tormentors that they wish they could be, if only I would allow them to ravage my life the way they used to do. They tore and clawed at it until it was in shreds, lapping at the dark red pools beneath the carcass of any dreams I might have had.

No, there is no room for them in my life, my heart, or any part of my being and they are unwelcome beasts. I have banished them from the sacred space that is Me. I am far more powerful than they could ever hope to be and they shall not destroy me again, nor shall I allow them any further destruction of my time in this life.

Why would I choose to do anything else? Unless, of course, I had some burning desire to destroy my own life, happiness and wellbeing.

I have complete control over what I think and how I respond to anyone or anything. I have complete control in deciding where to focus my attention and energy. These are the tools I can use to make my life better — or worse — whichever I choose.

I know what I’m choosing. How about you?

Spiritual Arts Mentor and Master Teacher, Liberty Forrest, guides you in discovering who you are, why you’re here, and how to follow that path.

Read more below.