Webs of Woven Words, Threads, Stitches and Enchantments

Monday, December 8, 2014

Positive & Negative Thinking

Stay in a positive frame of mind; think only positive thoughts; don't say or think negative thoughts; if you think a negative thought, immediately restate it in the positive. Have you heard any of these? A lot of this is from the Law of Attraction mentality. There's nothing wrong with that, but... does it really serve us as much as most think? Or is it just another way of pushing down or repressing what we don't want to deal with?

In my capacity as a spiritual advisor and teacher, I advise staying positive all the time, or at least as much as one can. Yes, I am aware how hard that can be, I have my own demons to wrestle. I do feel that wallowing in the negative is unhealthy, but after reading what I am about to share, it has made me think that contemplation and acknowledgement of the negative may be more useful and healthier.

I just began reading Tarot and the Chakras, Opening New Dimensions to Healers by Miriam Jacobs, so although I can't really review the book, the following paragraph gave me much food for thought:

"The power of positive thinking has its merits, but how can thinking only be positive? It is better to realize that no situation, no matter how difficult or complicated, lasts forever. And it is very important to realize that any charged emotion associated with difficulties, past or present, can be released. Negative thoughts tend to accumulate and stagnate the flow of air. It is like a stuffy room or strong winds. They can affect our emotions, and our physical body as well. In order to change negative thoughts, it is important to be aware of what the thoughts are connected to and find a way to accept them before attempting to do anything about them.  There is great value in differentiating among your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. This is best done by simply being present, rather than by judging or over-thinking. In energetic terms, that suggests a state of stillness and peaceful acceptance. After acceptance, change can happen. The charge of counterproductive thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations can be released, transformed, and healed."

Well, that is a lot different than just restating the issue in the positive. Exploration of the why, where "it" comes from are really important for full healing. But... there are some things we may never be able to figure out the whys and wherefores of - past life issues, other issues no amount of exploration can find. That's OK, as long as we don't bury it by putting on a happy face and pretending all is well in our life when it isn't. Acknowledgement is key, I think, not just stating those affirmations.

I'm a great one for over-thinking, so maybe I'm over-thinking this issue. It sure does strike a chord for me, though. I still don't advocate wallowing in one's misery - we've already experienced whatever trauma has led to these feelings, but we're still here, we're still OK... for the most part.

Thoughts? I love to know what others feel, think about this. Not sure I clearly articulated how this made me think, but it has my brain going!

Blessings dam and deep.




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