Spare Me the Negativity

Photo Credit: Liz Erb Firmstone SpareMe Bowl and Arcade, Iowa City, IA

Why do we do it? Why do we feel such a strong urge to notice the negative things (or what we perceive as negative) in others? Could it be because we don’t like those things within ourselves or that they are traits that we ourselves feel insecure about? Maybe there is something to learn there. When I am finding another person “annoying” or am finding myself “irritated” I strive to ask myself those questions.

What we perceive as “negative” can be a solid strike when it comes to gaining insight about ourselves and moving toward mastering how we choose to use our emotions to either drag us down or lift us up.

Let’s go for a solid strike. The kind where the bowling ball hits the king pin from just the right angle where all the rest of the pins just lay down like they are going to sleep. A solid strike could look like you being around someone who irritates you and then using that negative energy for personal growth with regard to understanding yourself or learning how to better manage certain situations. It could look like strengthening your mindfulness skills that you can use in any situation, or it could be using the opportunity to practice how to stand up for yourself and use your voice in a strong yet graceful manner.

When I am rested and not in a hurry, I find it much easier to practice the mindfulness that is necessary to stop what I am doing, take a deep breath, observe the situation and the emotions I have attached to it and pause to learn from them.

So Spare Me the gossip and negativity and bowl me up a strike. A solid strike is being authentic to who you are with integrity and self responsibility. Instead of letting other people take our energy, let’s use mindfulness and some self awareness to figure out why we are annoyed in the first place. Getting a strike is much better than a spare anyday!