Continuing the topic introduced yesterday, today we examine our power to stop negative thoughts, feelings, and actions in the moment. We all have to power to stop negativity in its tracks, but it takes knowing how to do it in the moment.

It’s part of being human to get caught in unfortunate and unhelpful responses when we confront situations which challenge us. Because none of us were raised by saints or sages, we usually never learned healthy responses to the generic negativity around us, or even how to address another’s negativity in the moment. And because “misery loves company,” we often responded to negativity with negativity. In those of us trying to become better spiritual adults, those experiences of acting out in negative ways created bad feelings after the fact.

We all have acted instinctively at times, and after the fact wished we had reacted differently. While this is a natural part of being human, (20-20 hindsight is like that!) it's also safe to say that it's always good to redirect negative responses to more positive ones. I've found there is a four step process for doing that.

I last gave you this 8 years ago, and have added material to flesh out some key concepts. Given the general pressure and frustration in the collective unconscious, many are struggling with internal negative responses to what’s going on, as well as the general negativity in the atmosphere. And because of the evolutionary pressure on the human race, awakening many to the promise of a more ideal future of more ideal interactions, countless numbers of truth seeking Souls are “doubling down” on redirecting our feelings and ideas away from old, non-productive patterns and into things we positively care about.

While some believe this is easier said than done, it is equally true that “practice makes perfect,” and that if we cultivate a tendency over a period of time, it become a habit. And just as we can cultivate bad habits, we can also cultivate good habits. One very good habit to have is to be able to know when negativity is present, and how to antidote it in that moment. While we cannot make another more positive if they are intent on being negative, we can always transform our responses from negative to positive by practicing a certain type of personal reprogramming.

Over the years, I’ve found there’s a four stage process of transmuting negative (or ineffective) responses to positive ones. All we have to do is be mindful of our own thoughts and feelings before they externalize in actions. That’s what we’ll explore in part two. Briefly, it’s a process of moving from unconscious instincts and learned reactions to being more conscious in choosing effective responses, or even an effective non-response if there's nothing to be said or done.

This is very helpful when we are confronting people who are consciously or unconsciously trying to bait us into reacting to their negative agenda, or even when we realize we have buttons that are being pushed when we're in certain circumstances. We've all dealt with feeling like we could have or should have responded differently to some things and people. The process I'll offer in part two shows us how to program that into our consciousness, and so release ourselves from reacting unconsciously and/or ineffectively.

It's really simple, though it does require discipline and mindfulness. I discovered this on my own many years ago, and it works for everyone willing to give it a try. Even mastering part of the process produces great results. So if you want to become more aware of how not to go where you don't need to go with certain people, this is definitely for you.

It will help you take command of your physical, emotional, and mental vehicle. Once you learn this technique, you'll be able to redirect all kinds of situations toward more positive outcomes (or at the very least not make them worse!)

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