Recently someone I know came up to me and started talking about this blog. First, she noted that she was a regular reader, which I was glad to hear. Then, to my surprise, she mentioned that the posts upset her because they were so positive. The stories actually made her feel worse about things.
Needless to say, this wasn’t the kind of feedback I was expecting. The whole point of these posts is to, in some small way, make people feel better by thinking about things to be grateful for and to feel positive about.
There are plenty of references to things in these posts that are not so positive, including the struggles people I’ve profiled have had to endure in their lives.
I know sometimes people don’t want to read about positivity and gratitude. Maybe they don’t feel particularly grateful about anything or perhaps they are going through difficult times.
I get it. Sometimes I don’t feel like reading or watching something that has a positive message because I’m just not in the mood for it. Also, there is such a thing as being overly and unrealistically positive. It’s called “toxic positivity”.
As described in an article in Psychology Today, toxic positivity “is the act of avoiding, suppressing, or rejecting negative emotions or experiences. This may take the form of denying your own emotions or someone else denying your emotions, insisting on positive thinking instead. Although setting aside difficult emotions is sometimes necessary temporarily, denying negative feelings long term is harmful because it can prevent people from processing their emotions and overcoming their distress.”
But the article also notes that there is nothing wrong with showing positivity, optimism, and gratitude; that those traits help people to flourish. “Positivity only becomes problematic when it functions to reject negative emotions,” it says.
Yes, life can be difficult. But we need to look for the positives around us to help us get through the challenges. It’s precisely because life can be hard that we need to acknowledge the people and the things we have and are grateful for.
In writing these posts I’m not trying to be a Pollyanna. I understand that life is not all a joyride. Ultimately, it comes down to attitude and the choices we make about which directions to pursue and how to view the world.
As author Roy T. Bennett notes in his book, The Light in the Heart, “attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”
I’d like to think this blog offers the right amount of positive vibes. The world desperately needs more positivity, and I’m glad I’m able to make a small contribution.
“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”—Richard DeVos
Side note: The featured photo for this post was generated by artificial intelligence. We certainly live in interesting times.
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