Picture courtesy of www.happinesz.com

I am Methodist and every year we vow to give up something for Lent.  In the past, it has been superficial things for me such as giving up sweet tea, sweets, hamburgers, etc.  Last year I gave it a lot thought and felt that those things were not a true sacrifice or a sign of my love for God.  I said to myself, what would God really want me to do for Lent that would prove to Him my growth and commitment to my faith.  And then it came to me, I wanted to give up all negativity, so I not only gave it up last year but this year as well.

By giving up the negative, I have never felt more at peace.  It is so simple to distant yourself from people who feed off of antagonism.  God wants us to be positive, supportive and loving in our relations with others.  I must say I fall short in that area.  There are  a lot of times I am reading negative celebrity gossip, making fun of someone on Facebook, not appreciating my blessings or simply focusing on the bad before the good.

Let me tell you, it has been a real eye opener for me.  I love to read articles, especially news articles and share them with my friends.  It so very hard finding a positive story to share.  It is also a challenge to keep people uplifted who are going through trials and tribulations.  Everyday, there is something that tries to bring me down but I pray and remind myself to see the positive in the situation.  There is always a positive in any situation, we just have to search, find it and promote it.

Honestly, this means so much to me because I am so very tired of people’s negativity.  The unnecessary violence that occurs on a daily basis and our overwhelming need to shame individuals for their life choices is exhausting to endure.  We really should be working towards the greater good but we all seem to be more concerned with tearing each other down.

I have decided that I want to strive for greater mental health.  Therefore, my date with positivity is going to become a lifestyle change for me.  The peace and contentment that stems from this new endeavor is too great not to implement into my daily life.  I will surely fall short and there will definitely be times I succumb to this hostile trend of promoting wicked behavior but I will work to overcome and stay true to the path that I am now committed.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Feel to leave comments here or join me tonight for our 30 minute live Twitter chat @maraprose at 7pm CST via #LetsTalkProse and share your experiences.

Until next time, remember to stay positive!

~Mara Prose