“Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.”—Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Before entering the hospital room of a tuberculosis patient, visitors are required to cover their entire bodies. They even don surgical gloves and face masks.
None of us balk at this seemingly overcautious behavior. We don’t want to catch tuberculosis. It’s contagious, for goodness sake. Of course, we’d go to great lengths to avoid being exposed.
Yet, we never protect ourselves from the bad news we see on television, the horrible reports we read in the newspaper. What we see on the nightly news is nothing like what we see in our own neighborhoods. The new media presents a grossly-distorted picture, an anomaly.
And, unfortunately, that picture of “America, the Ugly” is every bit as contagious and as damaging as those tuberculosis germs.
Poet and novelist Maya Angelou went so far as to call negativity poison. She was vigilant in protecting herself from negative conversation. If she heard what she called “a poisonous comment,” she quickly said “sayonara” and didn’t feel a bit guilty about it. If anyone started in at her home, she asked them to leave.
“If you allow it (negativity) to perch in your house, in your mind, in your life, it can take you over. So when rude or cruel things are said, I say, ‘Take it all out of my house.’ Those negative words climb into the wood and into the furniture and the next thing they’ll be on my skin,” she said.
She preferred what Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians. They wrote complaining about old men who were chasing young women, about church members who refused to tithe. And he wrote back, “If there be anything of good report, speak of these things.”
Your thoughts are magic. Not one of them goes unheeded by the universe. Whatever it is you think and feel the great universal energy stands up and says, “I second it.”
Why cast your spotlight in dirty corners? Why focus on negativity?
Our thought about ourselves, about our world, about our relationships create our reality. In a landmark physics experiment, researchers who theorized that light waves were curvy found curvy light waves. And those who deduced light waves were straight as Billy Graham? They found Billy Graham-straight light waves.
Who needs a mind reader or a psychologist to dredge up an unburied unconscious? If you want to know what there’s just take a look around. It’s all right there in living color. If you see dysfunctional relationships, finances that are always a struggle, a word of snotty sales clerks, then that’s what you’re spending your time thinking about. In fact, the thoughts come first.
Change your thoughts and your focus and you can literally change your world.
Pam Grout is the author of 18 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the about to be released, Thank and Grow Rich: a 30-day Experiment in Shameless Gratitude and Unabashed Joy
19 Responses
Thank you, Pam! And, I’m sooooo excited! My copy of THANK AND GROW RICH arrived! 🤓 Woohoo!
Enjoy it!!!
I haven’t watched, read or listened to the “news” in better than 25 years. I’m probably the only person in North America who didn’t see even 15 minutes of the 9/11 coverage…. because I knew there was nothing I could do about any of it, so it made no sense to immerse myself in it. I just focused on what was going WELL, right then. I am amazed at my friends who are constantly upset about “news” reports they read or hear, and who then let the images and words have such a negative effect on them. The “news” used to be pertinent: if there was a poisonous snake by the well, you needed to know. If someone in the village lost their son to a disease, you needed to know. You NEEDED to know, because it had a direct effect on you. 99.5% of what is considered “news” today is just inflated bullshit, with no bearing on our lives. There is no reason to let it raise your blood pressure or lower your mood.
Well said, my friend!
Thank you, Pam.
Very much looking forward to your new book. I can now look at my relationship in a more positive light. I know I am going to be happy.
I agree. News and gossips do no good. They tend to reinforce our negativity. Your blog and your books are creating so much love and gratefulness in this world! You are making everyone happy.
I love the titles of your blog’s! What a perfect way to end my day . So filled with joy and gratitude reading your post now as I prepare to go to bed. I used to be so addicted to reading the morning news paper lol! It’s been 3 months now that I am over it and I only read the Sunday news paper supplement pages for the cartoon strips , and whole lot of gud stuff related to spirituality, science, yoga, and the nice stuff! I was finally able to pre order your new book on Amazon India. Yay! So excited about it.
Much love and blessings!
oh YES! I wrote a whole blog post on this, begging parents to please turn off the news and love your family instead. News is poison – it only manifests a worse life for all of us. Here is the post, should you be interested. I got some nasty comments, but I figured I would. https://aprileight.com/2016/07/01/turn-off-the-%E2%98%A0-new/
Yes you are so right. The news is one thing I avoid at all costs but things still get through and it always leaves a hollow feeling in the stomach!
Pefect… it’s easy to choose if it feels good… I go with it. If I have the slightest doubt… I do without and enjoy the bliss instead!!!
“.”
Cat
yes yes yes Your messages are being received. Thank you 😄
Thank you. I needed this today. Diana
“What are we here for if not to make life less difficult for each other.” –George Eliot
From: Pam Grout To: d_hartje@yahoo.com Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2016 12:37 PM Subject: [New post] “We are all quantum special effects animators.”–Robert Scheinfeld #yiv3037189001 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv3037189001 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv3037189001 a.yiv3037189001primaryactionlink:link, #yiv3037189001 a.yiv3037189001primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv3037189001 a.yiv3037189001primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv3037189001 a.yiv3037189001primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv3037189001 WordPress.com | psgrout posted: “”Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.”—Fyodor DostoyevskyBefore entering the hospital room of a tuberculosis patient, visitors are required to cover their entire bodies. They even don surgical gloves and face masks.” | |
HI
Just wanted to say I love the new book. Thanks so much for the reminders of being positive….we should start a new News station that reports positive things.
Thanks Sherry 🙂
Great start to a day just read your post I have just pre-ordered your new book. Everything you say is right and it does happen it is just staying focused on that path that can be tricky!
That is SO awesome. Thanks for this great idea.
Pam — You’ve done it again — I’m forced to link you yet again in my next eletter — you are more infectious than TB — in a good way 🙂 — Evan
Hi there!
I quitted TV and the rest of the media 6 years ago!! A radio show in Spain encourages people to call and share their own positive news. Sometimes is something small like “my son doesn’t use diapers any longer, yaaay!” and other times it’s something like “the tests show that I’m clean; no signs of cancer in my body”. All the big news are welcome, without any distinction between small and big. This positive attitude is infectious!! 🙂
Thanks for this blog and for all the comments, love them!
Perfect post I can relate 1000% thank you so much!!!!!
It takes courage to speak up for yourself against negativity but so much easier to leave that presence. Positivity is a choice, an uplifting one for everyone. Thanks for your great words of wisdom.