I like to think of myself as a simple, easy-going person. A person who is happy-go-lucky and lighthearted. I have been told however that there is a lot going on under the surface that makes me a bit more complicated than I wish to be. I guess this is true for many of us.
I often feel like there is an angel on one shoulder letting us see the good in everyone we meet and a devil on the other shoulder encouraging us to judge others. The angel reminds us that people are human and often make mistakes. When we listen to the angel, we can take a harsh word in stride and ignore the buzz of negative energy while maintaining a positive outlook.
When the little devil on the other shoulder whispers bitter negative comments into our ears it can be hard to drown him out. The negativity sucks us in and breeds more negativity. An off-handed remark, an unreturned greeting, a honking car horn can all start the engine of bad energy which can buzz along all day long.
On days like this, a small occurrences can quickly be blown out of proportion and the negativity start to ooze out of every pore. If you could tune into my brain waves on a day like this, you would hear a loud whirring of foul language, obnoxious comments and clashing gongs.
For most of my life I simply didn’t listen to the devil on my shoulder. I kept myself so busy that it was like he didn’t exist. I didn’t relax because I didn’t know how and I worked a lot, played a lot and kept a really clean house. The problem was, I didn’t listen to the angel either. I ignored my inner positive and inner negative voice and pretty much lived my life on the surface. I never really tackled difficult life questions such as “who am I?”, “what makes me happy?”, and “what do I care about?”
I have gotten a bit more introspective over the last few years and have dared to tackle those difficult questions. In this endeavor both the angel and the devil have gotten louder.
Listening to the negative energy leads to worry, it leads to pessimism, it leads to feelings of unworthiness and ineptitude. When I first tried taking quiet time the negative voice inside my head called me all sorts of names and I remember thinking how ridiculous it was to not be able to sit still and remain quiet for 10 minutes.
Luckily, I have gotten a lot better about taking my quiet time, listening to the positive self talk and drowning out the little devil on my shoulder.
With this in mind, I have 2 quotes to share that encourage us to keep it positive!
Wayne Dyer says “Whatever we think about and thank about, we bring about.”
This quote reminds us if we want positive experiences and happy lives we need to focus on the positive and be grateful for what we have. When we listen to the little angel, we get into a positive mood, we see the good in each other, we do kind things for one another and we are grateful for each other.
On the other hand, when we listen to the little guy in red with the pitchfork; we get into a bad mood, we judge others harshly, we respond negatively and we are frustrated and angry with each other.
Leo Buscaglia says “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength”.
Think about it. Worrying does not make anything better, it doesn’t solve any problems. It only makes you feel worse. Worrying simply takes away your energy and your ability to take action.
With the new year just ahead of us I am making a conscious effort to listen only to the positive voice inside my head. I am choosing to think positively, act positively and to be grateful for all of the good in my life. I am also choosing to remember not to worry as it counter productive. It doesn’t help resolve any problems and it saps of us time and energy.
I have said it before… happiness is a choice; choose wisely.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays to all!
Lake Girl
