Spring sprung last week in the Northern Hemisphere. It may not feel like it where you are just yet, but the great green-up is underway again. With it come the birds, the bees, the flowers (and the pollen), and more and more light.
The Sun, it turns out, is really good at light. It’s been shining for 4.6 billion years without interruption and is estimated to continue shining for another 7 billion years or so.
When it comes to literal light, it does not get any better than that. But what about a different kind of light? What about the kind of light within you? The kind that can shine out into the world through your energy, your effort, and your attitude?
This kind of light, much like the sunlight of spring, fosters growth both within ourselves and also in those around us. Light begets light. It’s a beacon and a positive feedback machine. The more of it you shine into the world, the more of it you see emanating from others.
You must protect this light.
You will thrive more —and so will others— when you promote what you love rather than bash what you hate. Life is short; focus on the good stuff.
That is much better said than when I scribbled this in my notebook on February 19:
Keep your eyes focused on what is good, on what is right. Build things and support people. Waste none of your time tearing others down. Life is too short for that.
You get the point. Viktor Frankl wrote that even when it seems like everything is beyond your control, you still have control of one very important thing:
Your attitude.
Protecting the light is a demonstration of the control of your attitude, your energy, and your effort. It’s focusing on the good stuff. Life is too short, too finite, too fickle, to spend any of your precious time destructing. Imagine what you could create in the world if you channeled that energy into building things and empowering others instead.
Some people get addicted to chain-smoking their problems. They spend all day going from sorrow to sorrow. It doesn't have to be that way. You can live each day going from joy to joy—like a sunflower that turns to face the sun as it moves across the sky. It's not about having a problem-free life, but about focusing on the light. Sunflowers still have shadows, but they are always behind them.
Besides, it is far too easy to get swept up in darkness, in negativity. Your brain literally works against you here, as it latches onto negative emotions and experiences with enthusiasm compared to positive emotions and experiences. Negativity is sticky and therefore easier.
That last bit is important. It’s a signal. What is easy is often not right. What is difficult usually is. Bitterness, anger, frustration, pessimism, and cynicism are easy ways to operate. They arise within us without much effort and often feel good in the moment, and those are two more very important signals.
It is much harder for your brain to support, to be optimistic, to be hopeful, to understand, to listen, to be patient and kind, and to be compassionate. Those often challenge you in the moment but reward you — and most importantly, others — in the long-term.
So yes, positivity takes more work, but that’s all it requires. Effort. The power to stop negative thinking is within you. Your attention to it is imperative. The sooner you spot it, the better chance you have of protecting your flame. And just like any skill, the more you practice noticing the beginning of a downward spiral, the better you get at thwarting it.
Flex that muscle this week. Protect that light1 and watch yourself — and those around you — green-up as a result.
Dedicated to Doris Thomas Bradford, the proudest and most supportive grandmother anyone could ask for.