Negativity: A Different Perspective

Earlier today I was swinging with Iris (13 months old now!) outside, having some impatience about "all that" which was clamoring for my attention that I couldn't work on. Among those who think about thoughts and life and what we create and what we attract, the word "negative" comes up often. We talk about eliminating negative thinking and such, and there is usefulness in this practice, but like many other practices we can get carried away, even to the point of judging ourselves for "still" having these negative thoughts. However, as with emotions such as fear, what we may label as a negative feeling serves a purpose. I have seen this concept presented by many authors, most recently Byron Katie, languaged in various ways. Paraphrasing Katie, our so-called unpleasant experiences are wonderful gifts when viewed as signposts showing us needed changes. It was given to me, in that moment on the swing, a different interpretation of the words "negative" and "positive" in regards to experience. What is an experience that makes us happy but an experience we want to maintain? And what is a negative experience but something that we pull away from? These forces are merely opposing flows, ebbing, swirling, opposing each other to create interesting little eddies in our lives. When I observe that I have a "problem" in my life, something that I am displeased with, it merely shows me an intention my soul has yet to finish acting on. After all, if I am hungry, do I get mad at myself or do I simply go and eat? Dynamic homeostasis!

Thou Shalt Not Think on Mondays

Clover in the oregano, above. I set a goal for myself to blog every day, which I've been at least 80% successful with since setting it, not too bad. I also set a goal of writing one "green" blog each week, which hasn't happened yet, so I'm sitting down to do that now, but all I can think about is a scrap I had with a family member yesterday. As Byron Katie would point out, who is being more cruel to me, the person who hurt my feelings yesterday, or me, replaying the insults over and over in my head? Urgh.

Writer's block is a funny thing. I talk about greener living on a near-constant basis, but then I sit down to write a short blog and my monkey mind dashes hither, thither and yon, resisting the formation of so much as one sentence. I could write about laundry-- since getting off the electric dryer I've had revelations galore-- but it doesn't seem to want to happen. I could write about my ideas of revamping society to no longer be centered around commuting and the automobile, but the thoughts just won't gel. I give up!

All hail Mercury retrograde Mondays! Thou shalt not think today!