There’s a dilemma that many people are struggling with. Do you ignore what’s going on in the world so you can focus on being positive? Do you engage with what’s going on in the world so you’re aware and can make a difference?
This is tricky. Whatever you pay attention to and give your energy to grows. You don’t want to grow negativity. It would be much better to grow a more positive future.
Based on many years of personal experience and observation of others, I’d like to share some principles that help to guide me in this dilemma.
- Wherever people are kindling fear they’re using energy unethically, even if what they’re saying is true. That means they are trying to manipulate you. These are the ones to avoid.
- Whenever people are sharing information in search of what’s true, even if it makes you feel afraid, these are the ones to listen to. They show you the fears that you need to face in order to become stronger.
- When you face your own fear, hatred, rejection, judgement, apathy, exhaustion, hopelessness, grief and so on, you become more awake, more powerful and more capable. It takes courage and humility but the rewards are worth the effort.
- When you pretend to be positive in order to cover up your fear, you’re constantly giving energy to whatever you’re afraid of. It’s happening at a subtle level, but it’s as powerful as thinking about it all the time. This is behaviour to avoid.
- When you turn your attention to the better future you’d love to experience, as a response to your disappointment in the current reality, you’re giving energy to that better future. This is worth doing more of. This is not “fake it until you make it.” It’s a heartfelt, generous response to a challenging situation that carves the path of a better world.
The differences in what I’m describing are subtle but hugely important. After years of ignoring what’s going on in the world I discovered that my energy was becoming increasingly switched off. It was like trying to turn on the electricity with only one polarity.
Energy requires positive and negative to circulate and they both need to be functional, not fake. I found that facing my own (perceived) negativity allows it to find its right place in my energy field. It’s no longer repressed or suppressed. It’s also no longer in charge. There is no victim. Simply a recognition of a fuller range of my being.
I’ve also found that a neutral, forward-facing positivity, that isn’t hiding anything and is based on a desire to live a good life, creates a natural circulation with the negative energy. This is how power is created.
A really simple way to summarise this is to face reality and focus on the future.
Want to explore more deeply?
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