There is a disease across our country today, which is not only contagious but undermines progress, saps energy and permeates our minds. It can take the most positive ideas and opinions and turn them into something cruel and ugly.
I am, of course, referring to, negativism. It’s everywhere we turn — the TV, the radio and mainstream newspapers and of course, the great social media platforms.
We can blame it on the media or anything else we choose but the buck actually stops with us. It can penetrate our minds without us even realizing it, but we can change how it affects us by being aware of and getting rid of as much negativity in our lives as possible. What we feed our minds tends to come out of our mouths and affect our whole outlook on life. Making changes on what goes in and sometimes changing those we hang out with or listen to, can make a difference. People who are always negative, tend to bring us into that mode of negativity. You just can’t help it if that’s all you listen to day in and day out.
A negative thinking person affects the world around them negatively and negativity produces more negativity if not kept in check.
The way we change the culture is one person at a time deciding they want to change so it has to start with each of us. To make those changes we first have to realize there is a problem; be willing to change and then make those necessary changes.
Society as a whole jumps on the negative and revels in it. I call it an “in-your-face” mentality. It’s what keeps some news channels afloat.
How many times have you been in a problem solving meeting and heard “it can’t be done” or “it won’t work” or “it’s not possible”? With that mindset, it certainly can’t be done.
I always tried to tell my children they could do anything they wanted to do and be anything they chose to do in life. It’s a mindset.
Negative tends to overshadow the positive more times than not. If you want to find out how negative you are, pay attention to what you say every day. Use a recorder if necessary. When you hear an idea or an opinion, before you respond, think about what you are going to say and ask whether it’s positive or negative.
Instead of reacting to the negativity with more negativity, we should respond with positivity. Stop seeing the world as it’s you against it. We can always see the negative if we look for it so stop looking for it and explore the positive. You will feel much better for it.
In last week’s paper, we had a story about the possibility of a conference center in our community in the future. Call it a convention center, events center, civic center, or whatever else you want, it’s still the same thing. A few people wanted to complain that we don’t even have a grocery store and they are talking about a conference center. That is like not seeing the forest for the trees.
We may not have a grocery store at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we won’t in the future. I really don’t understand what one has to do with the other or those people’s thinking on the matter.
It’s a great thing for the community that the county is being given the CGTC building. It means the county will not be figuring out how to come up with money for a new county complex. This saves probably more than two million dollars down the road. Yes, they do need the new offices for county departments. Personally, I don’t understand why there wasn’t planning on having more of them at the courthouse. Yes, I understand it would have cost more money and I wasn’t around during that time, so I can’t really voice an opinion with any teeth in it.
I do know that sometimes forward progress moves slowly but has to start somewhere. At times it may seem progress takes three steps back to one step forward. If we want any change in our communities we have to be part of that change. Otherwise, we are just part of the problem if we are constantly negative about things which are going on around us.
Because we don’t particularly care for the person involved, is not a valid reason to be negative about a project or idea. It shouldn’t matter who gets the credit or whose idea it is if it’s a good idea and will benefit the whole community.
Negativism has to be stopped if we want to see any progress or want to move forward. Not only in our community but in our lives as well. Positivity can combat negativity if we keep working at it. I’m trying to do my part and eliminate as much negativity as possible. Let’s all get on the positivity team and make a difference in our communities.©2017

VICTORIA SIMMONS is an author, columnist, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com