Positivity: Resist the Hate

Don’t let the haters win.

Hatred is usually based in fear. Fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of things and beliefs and ideas that are different. Hate is an extreme emotion that fearmongers love to employ in order to gather followers and to taint viewpoints for their own gain.

Yes, the ludicrously long election cycle in America is about to get more focused, and a lot of what has already proceeded this is a ton of hatred, fear, words to inspire terror and hopelessness and anger to drive people to vote from a dangerously unstable emotional space. But we have the power to not let this be the dominant force of change – we can use positivity to take a different, proactive stand.

Yes, this thing may appear to be a huge, insurmountable juggernaut. How can I have any effect on that awfulness? By working towards finding positivity, and by looking at all the great and positive things in our lives. When we focus on the positives and give that our energy and attention we always find more.

Once we start to see and experience more positivity, we experience more good feelings, which can lead us more to happiness and joy. When we become empowered by these feelings, we have more ability to inspire and empower others.

The hardest part is to not give in to the haters. It is really stunningly easy to fall into hating the haters, and with that continue to build on that same negative energy. Division is what they want, and we need to work harder to unify and share more than divide and take.

Before you share that inflammatory article about how tremendously awful that guy is, try instead to find a positive article about someone you support. Instead of feeding the hate by hating the haters, let’s work on redirecting this conversation and draw more attention to the good, to the things we want instead of the things that we don’t want.

I know that this may come across as sort of crunchy-granola hippy-dippy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a good and valid idea. Do you like the feelings that the haters make you feel? I know that I don’t. I would much rather feel good, feel positive, feel like we live in a world where we have hope and possibility instead of fear and nothing but terror and destruction.

Let’s try to find positivity wherever we can. Instead of trying to best the haters at their own game, let’s change the game to one that more people want to play.

Finding positivity is not hard, it just requires action. Knowing that hating the haters only creates more negativity, we can choose to change the message and be supportive of views that are positive. When seek out and work more on sharing positives than negatives we build up more good feelings, and from this we empower ourselves. When we feel empowered, we often spread that feeling to others around us, and as such can build more positive feelings. We can use the positive feelings this generates to dissolve negative feelings. When we take away negative feelings, we open up space to let in positive feelings, and that is something we can be grateful for. Gratitude leads to happiness. Happiness is the ultimate positive attitude. Positive attitude begets positive energy, and that is always a good thing.

This is the one hundred fifth entry of my Positivity series.  It is my hope these weekly messages might help spread positive energies for everyone.  Feel free to share, re-blog and spread the positivity.