Is it me, or are there two different realities…
I am fortunate most days to encounter kind, loving folks engaged in a variety of acts of kindness.
Some of these altruistic individuals are slowing to let others in the traffic lane, holding the door open or letting someone know they dropped something.
Others spend their days with their sleeves rolled up handing out food, visiting those that are sick or lonely, or working to bring justice and peace for others.
The other universe that I experience swirling around me is filled with narcissism, negatively and hate speech. One only has to step into the world of social media, turn on the television or the vast majority of Talk Radio.
Extremists, politicians, pundits, and others have carved out a very lucrative career espousing vitriolic rumors, alarmist innuendoes, and outright hate speech. And, of course the rhetoric is only going to ramp up as the political season comes into full swing.
While we can’t, and frankly I believe should not, completely turn off the antagonistic noise we do have a choice as to how we navigate the land of negativity.
I really appreciate theologian Richard Rohr’s perspective on negativity,
“Most people are like electric wires: what comes in is what goes out. Someone calls us a name, and we call them a name back. That is, most people pass on the same energy that is given to them. Now compare an
electric wire to those big, grey transformers that you see on utility poles. Dangerous current or voltage comes in, but something happens inside that grey box and what comes out is, in fact, now helpful and
productive. That is exactly what Jesus does with suffering. That is what Jesus did: he did not return the negative energy directed at him.”
We have a choice of how we expend our energy. Clearly there are those in our midst who are choosing as President Lincoln encouraged to use the, “better angels of our nature.” I am grateful for those who are not succumbing to the noise of negativity but rather using their energy toward making a positive impact, even transformational in the lives of others.
My hope for all of us is that we will choose to reside in the reality where our energy can truly change both others’ lives and certainly our own.
“Gratitude moves stagnant energy when we’re feeling stuck in life. The simple act of practicing gratitude disrupts negative thoughts and changes our mindset to see the world in a positive way. Not only are we
more attractive to others when we live in gratitude, but the most ordinary things can become extraordinary, creating a fuller, more beautiful expression of our life.” – Doug Good Feather
BP