Saturday, January 8, 2011

The overwhelming effect of negativity. At which point does expressing what’s on one’s mind become unacceptable? Does an elderly person, due to their age, have the right to say anything and everything they want, regardless of if their words might have a cutting edge? Is a person entitled to bag on everything another is and does, just because they themselves are miserable human beings? Should a person be empowered to treat another like a doormat, using them as a rung on their ladder to feel better?

These questions have swirled around my head this past week as I’ve been overwhelmed by a barrage of negativity that sucks the air from a room, leaving me gasping and wheezing. Enduring some level of negativity is one thing—something we all find ourselves having to cope with. Though it’s not the optimum, it is manageable. But…when things turn ugly to the point that the only thing one hears is negativity 24/7, that sucks the life right out of a person. At least, that’s what it does with me. It makes me want to create as much distance as possible between those hurling negativity-laced venom capable of causing even the strongest to wither and myself.

So what does one do to adjust? Endure? Well, there are always tears, which can be cathartic as long as one doesn’t collapse into them, wallowing in depression. Or there’s exercise, a great tool for burning off negative energy and revitalizing the soul. Of course, should those not be an option, there’s always the choice to remove one’s self from the situation.

Nowhere is it written that an individual has to be subjugated by negativity. When all else fails—laughing it off, turning the other cheek and ignoring and allowing it to roll off one’s back rather than seeping into their fibers, one does have the choice to up and remove themselves in order to regroup. Many, myself included, tend to forget this, getting so bedraggled by all the crap being flung their way that they can barely think straight. But when clarity does revisit one’s mind, allowing them to glimpse what options they have, this is a good one to remember, for there’s nothing more cathartic and empowering than walking away from those who are content to wallow in miserable negativity.