Deb: In this very New
Year I find myself weary of those around me who just seem to spend their time
complaining and negatizing! (I might have invented that word, what do you
think?)
I need to be clear that I
am not weary of people who have the right to complain about sickness or sadness
or tragedy. What I am weary of is the “everything presented to you has a down
side” kind of complaining. And the “everyone needs to be reviewed and put down”
kind of negativity. I am, frankly, sick to death of it. I have pulled away from
the sources of this ugliness to such a degree as I am able. I have backed away
from the human sources and computer sources. I find I have no strength for that
vibe right now, be it over a coffee with someone face-to-face, or on Facebook,
sitting in my bathrobe, viewing the spewing. And I take full responsibility for
the part I play in any of this energy and pledge to eradicate it. Barbara Radecki, the lovely, the talented, my
partner in crime and my darling friend is the perfect example of someone who is
always positive, always supportive. This energy is what I want in my life all the
time. And I will have it. I will accept no substitutes!
Our darling friend,
Sean’a, who is a valued and beloved friend to all our Middle Ages Followers,
tired of this negatory trend many moons ago and tried something that I am going
to follow through on myself. She and her husband discovered a technique that
inspired them and which really taught them a shocking lesson I think. I think
many or all of us might be shocked by its results. The idea was always
compelling to me but only now do I feel that I want to challenge myself to
this. It involves putting several
homemade pull-string bracelets on your wrist and with each complaint or
negative statement that you make, you switch the bracelet to your other wrist,
indicating by days end just how many negative vibes you are filling your day
with. Brilliant and simple, don’t you think? I am probably very late to this
concept, but what the hell? If something teaches us a lesson, it doesn’t matter
when we learn it, right? If you are at all interested, I urge you to try it for
fun! Maybe we will all learn something about ourselves and the patterns we all
fall into. I think the real surprises may come in not the big complaints but
the throw away every day, “Geeze, it’s raining again” kind of complaints. So I am going to try this lovely experiment
and I will attempt to learn from it. I can’t control the negativity aimed at me
or around me, other than removing myself from it, but I can control my own
negativity. Heeeerrrrrreeeee goes!!! Sean’a you continue to inspire me. Have I
said that lately? Xo
Barbara: Oh, oh, oh, how
I love this. I do think I’d heard tell of this ingenious little trick a ways
back, but I’d forgotten all about it. And I deeply thank you for giving me such
lovely credit for my positivity, but make no mistake, I do succumb to the
easier wearier way down into drearier negativity. And it is insidious! You
almost don’t notice until you notice how people react: you’ve just passed on
another downer (and fundamentally useless) bit of information, you’ve added to
that negative conversation (thereby spurring it further), you’ve gotten into a
snarky, nosy, grumpy rut and people are either playing along like a gang of
ruffians, or ignoring you because they’re not down there with you. And then
whoa, you realize, Man, I feel like crap, maybe it’s time to shift gears and reach
up instead of falling down.
I have one of those pull-string
bracelets. I’m gonna get some more. Thanks, Sean’a, brilliant!
