Positivity is a Powerful Tool and Delivers Guaranteed Happiness

Salt of the Earth.  Do you know what that means?  When someone says “he’s the Salt of the Earth” what does that mean to you?  

The thoughts that come to my mind are the following … He’s a good person.  He’s down to earth.  He’s honest.  Reliable.  Supportive.  A good guy.  Full of Positivity.  That’s what I think of when someone refers to another as the Salt of the Earth.

This past Sunday, Matthew 5:13-16 was one of the readings at mass (see verse at the bottom). Our Priest, Fr Bert Chilson, did such a great job with his Homily, making it visual by turning off all the lights in the church and showing darkness, despair, evil, negativity, etc.  Then he took one of the candles off the altar and that was the light.  Joy, happiness, faith, etc …

My mind wandered.  I started to think of the people in my life who are the the Salt of the Earth, who are the lights of the world.  So many names came to mind, in fact, when I flipped it around and started to think who I knew that was darkness and negativity, only a handful popped up … and luckily they aren’t really in my life, they are merely people I stumble upon during a weak moment of scrolling on FB.

I’m very lucky in that many years ago Dan & I made the decision to surround ourselves and our family with people who are filled with positivity and who are supportive, faithful and lively, honest and happy.  We really did make the conscious decision to NOT place our pearls before swine.  But rather to immerse ourselves amongst people who made us want to be better, in all we did and do.  People who we could learn from and at first our circle was diminished, it was almost non-existent.  But over the years, it began to grow and grow.

Today, our circle consists of people who are better than us in every way.  They are more faithful, they are more giving, more generous, more kind, more joyful, more positive … do you know how incredibly inspiring it is to look up and see so many great people … people who are supportive of you, who check you when you are in need of being checked and understand and support both you and your mission.

Does that mean only people who believe exactly as we do?  Of course not, but it does mean people who choose to focus on the things we have in common instead of those things we don’t.  I have friends from all walks of life, all belief systems, but we focus on our common interests and enjoy each other’s company.  I wish everyone understood this tactful way of existing?  You know, actually co-existing?  What a wonderful world it would be …

But the problem is too many people love negativity.  It’s a cesspool, but they thrive and come alive in conflict and anger.  They are filled with righteousness over the most piddly things that they willingly spread their unhappy energy like the plague.

You know these people. You know exactly who I’m talking about.  They are the ones who, when you run into them and ask, “How are you?”, they proceed to tell you everything negative about their life.

“Well, life is so stressful right now.  We are in the middle of renovating our kitchen and there is dust and crud everywhere. I’m so stressed. I’m thinking of staying at the St. Regis in Aspen for the duration.  You know the kids ski up there and driving them to and from Aspen on Saturdays is KILLING me.  And I haven’t been feeling well, I have a cold.  And I’m just so busy.  I took on a big case and I’m working overtime and John is in Switzerland with (one of the kids) and I’m planning a trip to Fiji …”  

Blah blah blah blah blah  They make amazing things sound so laborous, so stressful, so … miserable.  It’s truly their worldview.

Then there are the people who you never talk to in real life who pop up on Facebook to rant and rave about a post on your timeline.  Of course, they NEVER comment with any kindness or encouragement, but only with anger, criticism, and hate.  And they ONLY comment on the posts that illicit anger and frustration in them because that is who they really are … angry, frustrated, unhappy, miserable people.

It begins to seem like everyone out there is mad, angry, unhappy and dark, but these people are actually the minority.

They are the MINORITY.

Oh, but they are loud.  Way louder than the majority of us who are happy and excited and feel great, because technology gives them a voice they’ve never had before.  And, they are on a mission to spread their hate and darkness.

So we, who are excited about life and who feel incredibly blessed by our lives and who are excited about today and tomorrow, we have a great responsibility to our kids, to our friends, to ourselves to be louder with our light than they are with their darkness.

It’s the only way to combat negativity, we have to be louder with our positivity.

You see, negativity is easy, it’s so simple to let the world drag you down. It’s your childhood, your neighborhood, your financial situation, your this or your that.  But, truthfully, the world doesn’t care.  It’s going to keep moving forward, you are going to keep moving forward.  You get to choose, as a human being, whether you are going to spend your 80/90/100 years on earth happy or if you are going to spend them in the darkness.

Those of us who make the conscious decision to be happy, to be joyful, to look at the glass half full, we need to be on the offense with positivity. We can’t allow the minority to pull us into their unhappiness, their hate, their ugliness. We need to stand above it all and project our genuine Joy!

That’s your mission, that’s your responsibility, to sell positivity.  To be loud.  

Why not start at home.  Make the conscious decision to be the light in your family.  When you are the light, when you are positive even during the storm, your family will function with love and security.  I mean think about when you are negative.  Your kids start to fight, you and your spouse start to fight, things start to spiral downhill.  But when you are joyous, everything around you takes on a joyous feel.

You can spread this positivity, this joy outside your home just as easily.  How about when browsing on Facebook?  Sure!  Support your friends’ happy posts and avoid the compulsion to comment on negative posts, just scroll on by … or better yet, stop scrolling, stop wasting your time on Facebook, it’s not real anyway.

And how about your take this positivity, this zeal for life, this light and you move out into your community with it?  Smile at everyone, talk to a stranger, buy McDonald’s for a homeless person, take your kids on a hike, whatever you do, just spread positivity.

Go out there and “Promote What You Love Instead of Bashing What You Hate.” — Unknown

Be the Salt of the Earth …

Matthew 5: 13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.