Overcoming Negative Environment

It’s a glorious morning! You wake up to singing birds, a ray of sunshine resting on your face. You treat yourself to a warm cup of delicious coffee and recite your favorite happy song in your head. You feel positive and happy. You are ready to conquer the world. It feels like nothing can bring you down. Life is amazing!

Next you get to work. The first thing out of your co-worker’s mouth goes something like this: “Did you see on the news that 5 people were shot dead last night?” The next co-worker remarks: “The gas prices have gone up by a dollar! This is just outrageous!” The third one storms in and complains about how horrible the traffic was that morning. The fourth one reminds you that it’s Monday and that you have to go through the entire week just to get to Friday. Suddenly, you spill your coffee on yourself while you’re wearing your brand new shirt. To top it all off, your boss yells at you for not completing your project on time.

By this time you have completely forgotten about the beautiful morning. The smile that was hovering on your face all morning is off the window. The happy song in your head is replaced by thoughts of anger, frustration and worry. You can’t wait to go back to sleep in hopes of a better tomorrow.

Does this scenario sound familiar? In a nutshell, it’s a case of your environment dragging you down into negativity. The environment can be your family members, your friends, co-workers and even people in public places.

A thought is starting to arise in your mind. “I see where you are going with this, but there is nothing I can do to change my environment and people”. In a sense, you are right! You can’t change them. However, you can change yourself. And when you change, your surroundings can’t help but change to conform to your attitude. It can be done. It’s done every day. How do I know this? You guessed it! From personal transformation.

“Yes, but…” you may say “I often feel positive, but when I do, others shut me down.” What’s your reaction to that? What is it exactly that brings you down? Becoming defensive? Angry? Feeling resentment towards that person for dragging you down from your high? Blaming them for ruining your day?

Now pay close attention to the foregoing paragraph as it may be life changing. The reason you feel negatively affected by other people is because you are not aware of your secret weapon yet, the most powerful one indeed. This power is a gift given to you by God, it’s within you, within all of us. It lays dormant deep inside until it is discovered and used. The name for this transformative weapon is FORGIVENESS coupled with compassion and love. When you forgive, others lose all power over you! Read the preceding sentence again, contemplate it, feel it. Put all reason aside and intuitively comprehend the full might behind those words. Now marvel about the implications!

With this understanding, you can take additional actions to fortify your positivity and inner peace. Intentionally plan your day in a way, where you are more under positive influences. Place mottos and affirmations in your physical environment. Set calendar reminders on your phone throughout the entire day to deliver empowering messages to yourself. Get associated with more positive people. Listen to podcasts, motivational seminars, inspiring audiobooks while you drive or perform mechanical tasks. Keep on keeping on day in and day out.

A question invariably arises. “But what if my family members or close people are the ones that are negative? I’m not going to get rid of them, am I?” It’s a tough question and it has merit. How can this be overcome?

When you change and become more positive, you may notice initial distancing arising between you and your circle with a negative attitude. They start feeling that you’re not of their flock any more. Don’t worry. This is a natural part of the growth process. Keep using forgiveness and love for them as your defense. The people that truly love you and care about you will hang around. In fact, they may get so inspired by the changes in you that they will subtly change themselves. And the ones that fall off…just wish them well!

Congratulations! You have learned of your inborn power today and I hope you start using it to transform your life and lives of others. Do you see now that you’re not quite the same person now as you were before reading this piece? Next time you think it's your environment keeping you down, remember this article. Remember, that other people have been where you are now and they have overcome the obstacles you are facing now. If it can be done by others, why can’t it be done by you?