Affirmation:
I will surround myself with positive people,
energy and images.
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| My Indoor Plant called PEACE LILY |
Personal Reflection:
Being exposed to (too much) negativity is draining. Negative energy can suck the life out of you and doesn’t help one bit if you are already feeling sad or depressed. While I understand that each of us may need some down time or time to wallow because of what may be happening in our lives, it is important that we have a certain consciousness in keeping the blues at bay for the sake of our health and well-being.
I’ve had my share of bad days once in a while but one of my biggest learnings in keeping myself together amidst having the blues is to surround myself with positive energy whether it be from the company of loved ones or doing something I love.
Here are some of the things I do in order to avoid negativity in my world:
I choose the company I keep. Being with people who do nothing but complain and see negativity in everything is exhausting. I know people who do these all day and I have nothing against them as that is there personality–they have every right to be what they are. But I can only tolerate negativity up to a certain extent so I choose my friends wisely. I love spending time with loved ones who exudes positivity as well.
I have dates with my girlfriends. I always tell my friends that they are the food to my soul. Whether it is in person, by phone or virtual chats, I try to spend time with my girlfriends on a regular basis because their presence simply makes me happy and sane.
I filter out and I tune out. With the accessibility of the online world, it is so easy for negative vibes to reach you. Nowadays, I seldom check in at Facebook because I’ve read a lot of negative shoutouts on a daily basis there (I mentioned to a friend before, “Ginagawang bulletin board ang FB ng kung anu-anong issue na hindi naman na dapat isapubliko.”). In twitter, I unfollow tweeters who makes bashing on people a habit. At home, the Husband and I filter and regulate what we watch on TV. When we have long days at work, we tune out completely–we don’t watch news on TV and don’t engage in social networking. We didn’t set up this rule though. It kind of just happened that we want to come home to a pleasant and cheerful home.
I surround myself with images that are life-affirming, optimistic or inspirational. In general, I like seeing pretty things because it simply makes me happy. At home, you can see photos of our travel on display to remind us of our happy adventures. I have a Peace Lily plant at the office and recently I bought the same plant for our home (see photo above). It has become one of my favourite plants because like it’s name, I feel that it brings peace and joy.
I do the things I love. When one is pre-occupied and productive, there is little time to invite bad energy. I believe my good days has always outnumbered the bad days because I spend my time doing the things I love. I have a job that I love and outside that, I write, I read books, I take photographs, I travel, I take long walks, I love spending time in the kitchen, I have dates with the Husband regularly and I pray. These are moments that normally make up my day that gives me a sense of fulfilment.
I de-clutter. Clutter, litter and dirt are negative stimuli. I’m not claiming that I’m the most organized person in the world, but I try to make my world as orderly as possible. At work and at home, I try to practice getting rid of things I don’t need so as not to accumulate clutter.
I have my regular “Me” times. I don’t know how many times I’ve written about having “Me” times but here is this topic once again. I can never stress how important “Me” times are for me and for the Husband. I’m grateful that I have a partner who is very generous in giving me the space I need whenever I need it.
How do you surround yourself with positivity?
Enjoy the week ahead!
