Positively Negative

"Fill your mind with light, happiness, hope, feelings of security and strength, and soon your life will reflect these qualities."

I've said it before, I'm not a super positive person. Although I'm doing my best to change that and look at things in a more positive manner. And I am doing better, really! But I do get so tired of people who claim to be "positive" but are really no more positive then anyone claiming to be a negative person. They hold on to negative things that have happened to them and constantly bring them and allow those things to dictate their lives. They pretend that seeing things through "rose colored glasses" makes them positive. No, that's lying to yourself. To pretend things aren't how they are, or to pretend your life is perfect. It's all a lie. It's living a positively negative lie. The problem is most people who do walk around living a lie will never know it. No one can convince them otherwise. They will continue to walk around pretending they aren't as negative and bitter as they are - letting their past dictate how they feel about everyone that crosses their path, isolating themselves more and more from people.

I think it's funny how we think that saying something like "bless their hearts....." before or after something negative makes it ok. Hey, I'm pointing the finger at myself too. I do it, too much probably. But people think as long as they point out everyone's faults with a sympathetic "tone" it makes it's a positive rather then a negative!

I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to trusting them or seeing past their negative/positive mask. But as the saying goes...."Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me". I've been burned more then once by some people and that's my own fault. I tend to let people have a second change to easily. Sometimes it's turned out for the better, I'll gladly admit that but sometimes it's put me through the same heart ache I've been through with them before. And that's my own fault, because I want to think that it's possible for people to change......but I've learned that without knowledge of who you really are then you can't ever really change. Not to mention it takes the grace of God as well! I neglect my personal time with God WAY too much - it's a fault I'm working on. Slowly. But it amazes me how many people like to pretend they have a personal relationship with God when the extent of their "relationship" is asking Him for things and waiting for Him to give it to them. I do it too, but I know it's wrong. Don't pretend you are spiritual when you haven't set foot in a church or been with a church body for years, when every thing you have to say about church is negative and bitter and when the only positive thing you ever say about God is to talk about what "He" gave you.

I'm doing my best to be positive - being positive doesn't mean you pretend things are better then they are, being positive doesn't mean walking around in a perfection bubble, being positive doesn't mean saying mean things with a sympathetic tone.....being positive is having the will power to try and turn any negative thing into something good. To be able to see past the situation and see a light ahead. Knowing that even in the midst of trials you can remain lighthearted and clear headed! I hope and pray I become less and less of a "positively negative" person.