How To Stay Positive In A Negative World

The world can be a very negative place. How do we combat negativity and tap into the energy souce that is positivity? Little actions, not a whole overhaul of your life. A few simple changes can add magical time to your day, have you feeling a bit less overwhelmed, and able to move through your life with more energy. Can it be done? Have a listen, and see if you agree.

Transcript

Welcome to Positive Pagan here on Insight Timer.

I'm Lisa Wagner and I'm a writer and a healer,

As well as the author of the book,

Positive Pagan,

How to Stay Upbeat in an Offbeat World.

Today,

I wanted to talk about ways to stay positive in a negative world.

It's not an easy existence,

This human existence.

It's not all rainbows and unicorns or endless delights.

Life itself can be and usually is pretty challenging,

Especially if we check in with the daily news.

So,

How can we stay positive in a negative world?

It's one of my favorite things to talk about and a never-ending quest for me to find more ways to get back into a positive frame of mind.

As a fellow human,

I know that life can be very overwhelming,

So I wanted to share some very concrete ways about returning to the flow of positivity.

No matter what spiritual traditions you follow,

The following ideas are accessible to everyone.

But first,

Why aim to stay positive at all?

Quite simply,

Let me ask you this.

Can you make things happen or change your circumstances in a negative state?

Not really.

So,

I feel that the core of positivity is action.

So,

If you do one thing to change your circumstances and mindset,

That leads to another and then another.

So,

To be positive is a choice and a way of life.

It's a source of energy to motivate you and to get some things done.

It's something that you do choose to do on a daily basis.

And yes,

There are days where you may have to choose not to be positive,

Just to muddle through.

Darkness touches all of us,

And without the darkness of life,

We can't really appreciate the light.

In my book,

I liken this feeling,

This energy source to an ember,

A glow that keeps me going no matter what is happening in the world and the world at large.

Some days it can be difficult to access,

And some days it's a little bit easier.

So,

I hope some of my suggestions will make your life a little bit easier.

To begin with,

Start your day simply.

I was one of those people who rolled out of bed at the very last minute,

And I would spend the rest of the day trying to catch up.

Does that sound familiar?

A way to get out of a pattern like that is just to begin simply.

Start with keeping your bedroom as serene and soothing as possible.

Get rid of all the clutter,

Get rid of the distractions,

Keep only a few books by the side of your bed,

And please try to remove the television.

When you awaken,

Take a few moments to just start with a few deep breaths.

Do that before anything else.

Don't reach for the phone right away.

I know,

I know,

That is excruciating,

It's hard,

But give it a try.

Just try it for one morning and see how you feel.

Meditate before you get out of bed.

Take some deep breaths.

And when you get up,

Make your bed.

A lot of positivity kind of gurus always never finish their sentence,

It seems like.

They'll say,

Make your bed.

The reason why is because you change the energy in your room.

Plus,

It's something that you accomplish,

So you can check that off your list.

So just think about it.

So far in the morning,

You started with some deep breathing,

Meditation,

Maybe you stretched a little bit,

You didn't reach for your phone.

Look at all that you've accomplished already.

Savor that feeling and take a minute to do that.

And it's so much better than rushing around.

And you'll find that time expands sort of magically,

And you'll have a lot more time to get things done,

To start your day off on the right foot.

So much better than rushing around.

Another example is when you make your morning beverage,

Whether it be coffee or tea or whatever,

If you use a spoon to add something to it,

Whether it's like a protein powder,

Or you're stirring in some fruit juice or something like that,

Incorporate some magic by stirring your spoon in multiples of three,

Or say affirmations while you're stirring it,

Or say an affirmation every time you take a sip.

Try some daily journaling,

Or write a gratitude list of things that you're grateful for.

So try incorporating these things into your morning routine,

And then see how you feel and how the rest of your day goes.

Slowing down and calming your morning routine will help time feel more expansive.

And you'll notice the difference between that and rolling out of bed at the last minute and rushing around.

Next up,

Think of others.

Make time in your day to think of other people or beings,

Whether it's leaving birdseed out for the birds,

Tending to plants,

Or sending someone a check-in message or note,

Be sure to spend at least some time each day thinking of others.

It will help you to get out of negative mental spirals.

You'll help others feel better,

And in return,

You're gonna get a boost.

As you get used to this being part of your daily practice,

You can start looking for other ways to think of others.

Maybe bring in a treat for a coworker,

Bring some flowers or baked goods for a neighbor,

Or if time allows,

Volunteer during the week.

And if you're not sure where to begin,

Just look around your environment.

Are you active on social media?

Check on three people by messenger,

Or send texts to three people that you haven't talked to in a while.

If you have time in your day,

Maybe write out a postcard,

Send a letter,

Or send an email.

See what comes back to you.

If you don't have any plants,

Start with just one.

Maybe it's an herb plant or a simple,

Hearty green plant that doesn't require a whole lot of care.

A bonus with the plants is that you're able to touch the dirt and ground yourself as you start your day.

I'll talk about grounding in a little bit.

Next,

Be a child again.

What did you love to do most when you were a child?

Was it blowing bubbles,

Stomping in mud puddles,

Making blanket forts,

Or playing board games?

Did you go camping?

Do something that brings you those same feelings of joy.

It puts you in a different frame of mind,

And all your worries can fall away for a bit.

Consider it a boost,

And don't worry about what other people think.

Focus on the joy of the activity and revel in it.

And save this for the weekend if you're way too busy during the week,

Or maybe think about doing it one evening a week.

Just whatever it is that made you happy.

Do it again and see how you feel.

Another reliable entry to tap into that positive energy is to have a daily spiritual practice.

It doesn't take a lot of time.

It doesn't take a lot of effort.

Participate in something as simple as gazing into a candle flame.

Check in with your deities.

Pull cards for a daily reading.

Pull one card to set the tone for the day.

Tune into your spiritual self and discover what helps you feel connected.

Maybe it's music.

Maybe it's using prayer beads,

Or reading a book of daily meditations.

Maybe it's listening to a spiritual podcast.

Enjoy the process of discovering what parts of a spiritual practice you truly enjoy.

And make sure it's something that you really do like spending time doing.

Don't force yourself to do it.

But find a way to tap into your spirituality.

Always,

Always,

Before you leave for the day or start your workday,

Make time to ground,

Center,

And protect.

There are different ways of doing that.

And especially with all the energies bouncing around this planet right now,

It's a good habit to get into daily.

Grounding is as simple as imagining roots growing from your feet deep down into the ground.

If you can,

Go outside and walk barefoot on the grass.

Or eat grounding food such as oatmeal or some brown rice in the morning.

Center yourself with some deep breathing.

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

Hold.

Do this on a count of four.

So you breathe in for a count of four,

You hold for a count of four,

You breathe out for a count of four.

Or try imagining,

For example,

A silver or a white beam from the top of your head down to your toes.

And notice how you will align yourself with that.

That's centering.

Protection can be as simple as using a crystal.

Hematite and tourmaline are really good for these.

Keep some of them on your desk at work or carry them on your person.

Wear protective jewelry,

Either in a special symbol,

Use protection oil on your jewelry,

Or wear something such as smoky quartz or something in a necklace,

Or carry it in your pocket or somewhere on your person.

You can also use amethyst or onyx.

All of those things are really great.

Garnet and carnelian are good as well.

Make cleansing an important part of your day.

So cleanse yourself of negative energies with a bath or a shower.

And if you can't get to that,

Definitely wash your hands regularly.

Cleanse any new items,

Especially if you go thrifting,

Because those items may have some energies on there.

Use some Florida water,

Herb smoke,

Or incense to cleanse your home or your items regularly.

So you can find Florida water online or at your local metaphysical shop.

Other ways include ringing bells,

Clapping your hands,

Opening your windows,

Anything that you can do to keep the energy flowing in your home.

You can walk through the house just ringing a bell or clapping your hands,

Or even stomping your feet if you can do that.

Getting rid of stagnant energy helps keep you in a positive flow and a frame of mind.

Remember back when I said make your bed?

You can do that in any room,

Whether it's moving things around to see if it feels better,

To open a window to let the air flow through,

To cleaning out the clutter in your kitchen junk drawer.

Any of those things will move the energy as you move throughout your day.

Another important thing is to consider language.

How you speak to yourself and how you speak to others impacts you greatly without you even realizing it.

So how often do you say things like,

Oh,

I'm old,

I'm fat,

I'm lousy at this,

I'm lousy at that?

Monitor your language,

Both written and verbal for a few weeks.

And notice,

Are you saying unkind things about yourself?

Are you posting negative gloom and doom,

Unhappy words on your social media?

Are you automatically saying something negative when someone says something nice to you or complimentary?

Pause and take a deep breath before speaking.

Really notice your speech patterns and take a break from social media or find different things to post or just enjoy the silence.

Most of these ideas may seem like common sense,

But we can all use reminders to change the energy in our lives.

Being positive is an energy flow,

Whereas being negative usually feels stagnant.

When things flow,

Life flourishes,

So make choices daily to incorporate a bit more positivity into your life.

And by doing so,

Dealing with the negative things will seem a little bit more tolerable.

Shifting your mindset can bring about changes for the better in your life.

And when you empower yourself this way,

The possibilities can be wonderful.

Thanks for spending time with me today.

I hope these suggestions helped.