The Jail of Negativity

After watching countless hours of coverage about the search for, discovery and demise of Osama Bin Laden some months back, I was struck by the tremendous amounts of negative energy some humans are willing to invest in their existence. I wondered whether during those last few moments of his life, he thought it was worth it.

It’s true he had not been in “custody” for the decade post Sept. 11, but to my mind, he was imprisoned nonetheless, trapped within the tall walls of the compound for 5-6 years, venturing out only once a day. Sure sounds like incarceration to me.

I find when people choose to embrace a mindset of negativity and exclusion, they not only bar others from coming in, but encage themselves, too. There’s the family member who stays home from all the gatherings rather than to extend civility to someone who slighted him or her years ago, the person who blares their car horn and flips off the driver next to them for some perceived infraction of traffic norms, leaving other drivers shaking their heads and seeking distance, the co-worker who would rather be silent day after day than to be the first to say good morning.

Such acts of iron will for such ill will. Imagine what could be if the same level of determination were applied to finding the common ground from which to form a partnership, or at least a peaceful place of disagreement, or even, hold onto your hat, forgiveness.

Consider the signs for negative – and positive+. The negative sign is linear, stark, and alone. The positive sign shows two paths converging at a midpoint, a sort of coming together of two parts to form something new. A cooperative intersection for good.

I recognize no one, least of all me, is constantly positive and all sweetness and light. Still, when negativity pervades one’s existence it’s incredibly destructive. Not toward the perceived external enemy, but to the enemy within. One doesn’t have to be Osama Bin Laden to harbor negativity. It’s an issue for many of us, albeit on a comparatively infinitesimal scale. But, unlike Osama, we all have the opportunity to make a shift. We can consciously decide to step out of the jail of negativity, embracing positive energy to ourselves and extending it to others.

The next time negativity rises, leading to feelings of separateness and exclusion, envision the + and work toward an intersection of heart and mind that allows positive energy to flow to you and from you. That positive energy will unlock the jail of negativity and set you free.