I'm feeling brave today, to address a way of being -- Reactive Positivity. The desire for this way of being came out of deep reflection on the Tedx Talk I gave in May 2021. I watched post-production following the event and was disappointed. The hope I thought I had conveyed was a smidge, barely scratching the surface.
The talk birthed a North Star within me ~ I wish, above all to be a positive and uplifting force in the face of the opioid crisis, a pandemic, stubbing my toe, whatever it may be ~ I want to react with positivity. Not fake-o, Polly-Anna stuff, but the tapped-in substance of a greater source.
Part of my clarity came with Desmond Tutu's passing yesterday. I have always been inspired and touched by his joyful personality in the face of tremendous hardship, apartheid--it doesn't get much worse than that. The Dalai Lama, a very dear friend to Tutu, also falls into the joyful category. Even though the Dalai Lama has faced the tremendous pain of exile and the destruction of his people, he continues to exude peace, hope and love. The Dalai Lama and Tutu's capacities for positivity are strong and massive, unable to be contained, and the people feel it. Watch this video of Dalai Lama and Tutu and try not to smile--impossible!
How do we grow the capacity for unwavering, reactive positivity? Training the heart and mind seem key. We're talking-- reactive--so, rather than fear, or the past, or our habitual habits and traumas taking over--positivity takes over. That sounds subconscious to me, it sounds the stuff of consumption--what music am I listening to? What am I reading? What am I viewing? What am I speaking? Who is my company? Am I hanging out with Eeyore or Desmond Tutu?
And...if I am with Eeyore, hello, dear Eeyore! In my practice of mindfulness, I will not turn away the donkey at my door...or get sucked in but rather, practice being a force of reactive positivity, uplifting and free.
Like any good gardener, if I want positivity to grow, I must water and feed positivity. With water and food comes a growth in capacity and true healing. Reactive positivity is my 2022 New Year's Resolution! Who's on board with me? I want to grow lotuses in all the mud, ya'all! The giant, mammoth kind that grow 60 inches tall, pushing through all the muck. Dear Lotuses, drop me a line on Facebook or use #reactivepositivity for insights, thoughts and ideas to grow Reactive Positivity 2022!
