Negativity is a disease of the mind, which gets transferred to our body.

We often look at things in life, and criticise them, complain about them, sometimes even try and negate and invalidate them. This creates a mindset of conflict because life does not work in this ‘negative way’. So by taking such a position, we enter into a conflict with life itself, which is inherently creative and giving.

Negativity is simply a self-fulfilling prophecy, which never evolves or changes. Evolution only happens when we free ourselves from negativity, and tune into the creative energy of life, which is deeply harmonious and positive. This is the most intelligent choice we can make.

To remain in negativity out of choice is insane. It is akin to self-destruction. Essentially it is self-negation; denying the Light of your heart and choosing a black hole of endless pessimism and joylessness as your Reality. And this reality is not even true. It is created by those thoughts. We literally conjure it up with our negative thoughts, which are totally optional. We choose those thoughts out of habit, because we have a tendency to do so, but all destructive tendencies can be corrected – sometimes just by becoming aware that they are affecting us in a negative way.

Every human heart craves freedom, either consciously or unconsciously, and we need to become aware enough to notice when our thoughts are making us feel imprisoned. Because feeling imprisoned is often what makes people feel hopeless, powerless, frustrated or angry. But the prison is created by us, simply by the thought systems we choose to engage with. We are actually free, although we believe we are imprisoned.

Every single thought can become another thread on the spiders web which entangles us, if we choose to believe that thought. But once we realise what thought actually is, we will never believe in it again. Thought is like a map of landscape, that seems to be such an accurate representation of reality. So we feel compelled to give it our attention, because we confuse it with reality. But Reality is not fabricated by thoughts; illusion is. Reality is a creation of Light. Everything you can perceive in this Universe is an expression of Light in some way.

We can choose to focus upon the beauty of life, the magnificent natural world around us, the goodness in the hearts of other people, the fascinating animals that populate the planet, the awesomeness of the vast star-filled space that we can behold at night. We can choose gratitude very easily. Even during challenging times we can be grateful, because we have been given the means to overcome all challenges. We have the strength and determination within to solve all problems, but we have to access our inner resolve and our inner courage. We have to find our strength.

So many people give up. They feel that life is just trying to break them down, and they stop trying, they stop caring. To stop caring is a big problem, because we are innately driven to be caring creatures, and our caring and compassionate nature is our saving grace. If we abandon that, and opt for a totally self-centred and uncaring attitude instead, our heart will begin to wither, and grow cold.

This is like inviting isolation and darkness into your life. Bitterness and resentment take the place of care and compassion, and we close down our openness to the benevolent energies of the Universe, which in fact are sustaining us and directing our lives in more profound ways than we can understand. We disconnect from the source of beauty and of Love, and life becomes a joyless toil, with endless consumption being the only motivating factor.

This is what happens to many people who have experienced pain and disappointment in their lives. They lose the desire to be caring, because they firmly believe that caring inevitably leads to pain. Feeling enthusiastic only leads to disappointment when things don’t go as they had hoped. So it seems that it is safer to keep the heart protected, shielded, guarded, and not be foolish enough to open it up to more pain.

Many people live with this outlook, because it just seems like the safest thing to do, because nobody actually wants to experience more pain. We are driven to avoid it. But closing our heart does not work, because it only leads to a sense of isolation, which inevitably brings us suffering and emptiness.

So how can we live free of pain? How can we ensure that we will not be hurt again? We have to stop attaching our happiness, our peace and our sense of security to external phenomena; to people, to achievements, to material possessions and money. Lasting happiness, peace and security simply cannot be found in the outside world and through other people. It also cannot be found in the realm of thought.

We like to think about things that make us feel happy and secure, but happy and comforting thoughts cannot be sustained. Other thoughts will come along that fill us with fear, anger or sadness, and because we have gotten used to investing our attention in thoughts, we find it hard not to give the negative thoughts our attention also. We are just so used to referring to our mind for what we believe is the truth, that when our mind presents us with negative, pessimistic or fearful thoughts, we are in the habit of engaging with them.

This is why it is vital that we have a reference point for truth, for reality, that has nothing to do with thought. This is why we have to turn to our own heart for an unwavering sense of security and peace, because our heart is the doorway to the transcendent realm of Love. This means that it cannot be affected by anything in the material world, because it offers us a reality which is above and beyond the material world. It precedes the material world, meaning that when we are connected to our heart, connected to a sense of inner-harmony, fulfilment and security, our existence in the physical world mirrors these characteristics. We find life becomes more stable, more rich, more simple, yet rewarding in its simplicity. And most importantly, life stops being about us, our desires, our personal agendas and plans.

When we are connected to our heart, we realise that everyone around us is in need of Love, just as we are. Therefore, we feel compelled to be a force of kindness, generosity and compassion, because our heart receives it greatest rewards by sharing its light and warmth with others. This is its purpose, and through realising and practicing this, we find that the only attachment we need in our life is the attachment to our heart, the connection with our heart.

Realising this is a most wonderful thing, because you are carrying around within you the only thing you really need to make life beautiful and fulfilling. You only need to turn your attention there, to feel your heart beating in your chest, to allow it to relax and open, and you have your life-line, your connection with the source of all that is beautiful, powerful and timeless. You have the torch that will illuminate the way ahead, so that you need never be afraid or alone. Your heart is desperate to shine. It only awaits your cooperation.

It is very reassuring to know this, but knowledge without practice is useless. We have to practice bringing our attention out of negative or anxious thought, and back into our heart. We have to practice relaxing amidst stressful situations, we have to practice being compassionate when confronted with hostility or unkindness. Daily life is this practice. This life is our school, and Love is our lesson.

This is why practices such as meditation – which is simply the practice of moving your attention from the mind, back to your breathing, back to your body, and ultimately, back to your heart – are essential. Anything that helps you do this very valuable. Many people find that physical activity in nature (like walking, running, cycling etc.) does the same thing. Such practices ground and oxygenate our body, which of course brings a greater awareness of our life-force, of our sense of strength, and vitality. The heart is central to all of this, and with a greater influx of oxygen, awareness of our heart increases. This is why most spiritual practices revolve around breathing, because breath brings more awareness, more consciousness. It wakes us up, it wakes our body up, and it makes our heart strong, which is essential.

We need a strong heart in this world, because there are many influences that can make us feel weak, anxious, afraid and so on. And as we are absorbing such influences, our heart is tightening up slowly, becoming less relaxed and more tense. So the obvious antidote is first to stop giving our attention to sources of negative information (like the ‘bad news media’) and secondly to let go of the tension in our body and in our heart. We relax our heart, we let go of the fear, and we allow a sense of trust to come in. This is a good daily practice, whenever you notice stress or anxiety arise. Relax your body, breathe and relax your heart.

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