Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()
You know, we’ve all got enough troubles in this world without inflicting more on ourselves unnecessarily. Obviously, the smart thing for any of us to do is to get rid of those self-inflicted sufferings.
Bitterness, self-pity and lack of discipline are the three we’ve discussed already this week. How about being negative? That’s about as harmful as anything I can think of. Are you a negative person? Do you gripe and complain frequently? Do you tend to look on the dark side all the time? Do you focus on people’s faults rather than their good points? How much of your speech is in negative territory? What about your thought life?
I sure wish someone had warned me about negativity earlier in my life. Perhaps I just didn’t listen, but I now certainly recognize how important it is not to dwell in negativity. It is self-inflicted suffering.
Every time you focus on the bad things—whether it’s the weather or a friend’s faults or your sore throat or your workload—then you immediately add a lot of stress to your life. In addition, negativity slows you down because it wastes your energy. Your negativity harms others as well. You drag others down with you, and you drive people away.
Here’s the cure for negativity: thankfulness. Paul wrote to the Colossians:
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6-7).
Frequently I say to myself: “Mary, overflow with thankfulness today.” I can choose to overflow with thankfulness, or I can choose to be negative. Being negative is self-inflicted suffering. Check it out; you may not realize just how often you slide into negative territory. If you’ll be more positive, you’ll discover enormous benefits and great relief from that self-inflicted suffering.