There is no such thing as Positive or Negative Energy

I am sometimes asked how to deal with “negative” energy or “negative” people. I always reply that there is no such thing as negative or positive energy, there is only energy. This is difficult for some to understand at first.

Let me illustrate it this way. Two people go to visit the ocean. The first person cannot swim. It is a sunny, warm day & this individual decides to go out into the relatively calm water. After a few minutes they realize the tide is coming in & notice that they are about ten yards from shore. Coming towards them is a sizable wave of water, about six to eight feet. As they can’t swim, will this be a positive or negative experience for them?

The second person at the beach is a surfer. Not just a casual surfer, but someone who has entered & won contests in the past. They have not been to ocean for some period of time & have been looking forward to this day. For quite a while they have been sitting patiently on their surf board waiting for a wave, only to find the water to be very calm. Now, however they sense the building of a wave beneath them, about six to eight feet. They begin to paddle into it. Will this be a positive experience or a negative one?

For the first person, the non-swimmer, this wave will probably knock them down. At best they will get tossed on shore backside over topside. At worst they get pulled out to sea & potentially lose their life.

For the second person, the surfer, this is the first wave of the day, the one they’ve been waiting for & they get a chance to test their skill & ride the crest of the wave.

In both cases it is the same wave of water, not good or bad, positive or negative, just a wave. No judgment can be made for or against it.

The difference is the ability of each individual to respond to the situation, their “response-ability”. The “positive” or “negative” label is based on our perception.

By changing our abilities to respond to the different circumstances we experience in life we find a lot less that we perceive as “negative” & a lot more that we can feel positive about, especially the people around us.

When you find yourself feeling that you are in a “negative” situation ask; What skill do I need to learn that will help me deal with this now and in the future? What are my response-abilities?



© 2007
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