The most common poison people take on a regular basis is negativity. It can control you in ways that you may not even be aware of. Eliminating it can make a major difference in your outlook and mindset. Here are some of the ways that you may be allowing negativity to be in your life.
Talking to yourself or others in a negative fashion. This is a very easy habit to fall into. It does not matter if you are focusing the negative talk on someone else or yourself, either is poisonous. Everyone needs to vent from time to time, but be careful not to cross the very thin line into talking negatively.
Try to think differently: “It makes me really upset when so-and-so does this.” By turning it around to what bothers you, not only do you vent in a more positive fashion, but you can figure out why that bothers you and maybe learn something about yourself.
Be particularly careful with social media. It is so easy to forget that there is another person on the other side of the computer. The sense of anonymity that the internet provides can lead people to do and say things they would not do in person. Remember that everyone has faults and is not perfect. If you would not want someone saying something about you, why say it about them?
Those negative thoughts and self tapes are very poisonous. When you tear yourself down, you are damaging yourself. You are limiting your options in life. When you play those self tapes that say “I am not good enough” or “I will not succeed”, you make it a self fulfilling prophecy.
A bit of self depreciating humor is fine, just do not carry it too far. Spend time building yourself up as well. Look for the best in you and the best in others, and you will seldom be disappointed. When you think negatively about others, it becomes easier to say negative things to them. You know how that makes you feel, so why do it to others?
Being surrounded by negative people is another way you can poison yourself. For example, say you are a child and you have worked really hard this semester on your school work and get all As except in math where you get a B. If you show your report card and everyone focuses on the many As and takes you out to celebrate, you feel like you are on top of the world. What happens if instead they focused on the one B and said that you did not do well enough because you got a B in math. How would you feel?
Try to cut out or limit contact with negative people, negative thoughts and talking negatively about yourself and others. You will find that focusing on just these three areas will greatly eliminate the negativity in your life.