| Copyright (c) 2009 Willie Horton | | | | important stuff of the day, you're actively watering |
| A client asked me recently "What would you have | | | | the seeds that you've been sowing all your adult life |
| left to talk about if you took gossip out of the | | | | that create a normal life that's, at best, not too bad. |
| conversation?" A very good question, because most | | | | Cut out negative gossip. Stop diverting your energy |
| of us spend a large part of our time gossiping. It | | | | away from creating the effortless happiness and |
| might be about little "harmless" things, like the | | | | success that you can have you only directed your |
| neighbours' behaviour, how someone down the road | | | | energy into that instead. Stop wasting your time |
| was caught with someone else's wife, how the guy | | | | delighting in bad news - news that only confirms that |
| next door was caught drink-driving. Or how one of | | | | it's alright to be not too bad. Stop reading the crap in |
| our children's friends got drunk (and sick on the | | | | newspapers. Don't get me wrong, we all have to |
| school bus). Most of us, to a greater or lesser | | | | keep up with what's happening in the world, but we |
| extent, delight in gossip - particularly if it involves | | | | don't have to wallow in the "news" about rape, |
| someone else falling on their face. | | | | assault, murder and so-called normal people generally |
| Of course, if you stop to think about it for a | | | | behaving badly. Stop channel-hopping - immersing |
| moment, none of this stuff is harmless. In fact, it's | | | | yourself in the "reality TV" that brings road accidents, |
| actually harmful. First of all, it directs our energy | | | | car chases, and real crime to our screens. That's not |
| towards the negative. But, more importantly, it | | | | reality, it's just further evidence of normal people |
| reduces the amount of energy we have available to | | | | gone made and further comfort for you in living a |
| do what we're supposed to be doing - right here, | | | | not-too-bad life. Real reality is to be found in the |
| right now. | | | | wonder of this here and now. That's simply more |
| We're all familiar with the saying that what goes | | | | examples of "normal" people's inappropriate behaviour |
| around comes around - step onto that particular | | | | and it's certainly not entertainment. |
| "sorry-go-round" at your peril! We're all familiar with | | | | Control yourself, you're a responsible adult, aren't |
| the concept that you reap what you sow - same | | | | you? Take responsibility for the only thing in this life |
| thing. These are old adages proved correct by | | | | for which you can by wholly and absolutely |
| modern science - quantum physics. You get out what | | | | responsible, your own state of mind and where you |
| you put in. Invest your energy in nonsense - and | | | | direct your attention. Why not start talking about |
| your life will be little more than a nonsense itself. | | | | good things, talking about how good people are, |
| Take delight in other's misfortune and you're setting | | | | swapping nice stories instead of competing with each |
| yourself up for misfortune yourself. Buddhists might | | | | other at the coffee break or water cooler for who |
| call it the wheel of karma - a physicist might simply | | | | can tell the most depressing story - about someone |
| describe it as energy responding to energy. | | | | being mugged, cars being stolen, people with serious |
| And, in fact, that's the most important aspect of just | | | | illness. Seriously, all you have to do is earwig the |
| how negatively negative gossip can affect the | | | | conversations that are going on around you all the |
| gossiper. If you're "investing" your energy in talking | | | | time (some of which you get involved in) to realise |
| crap, you have immediately reduced the time and | | | | what's going on. Negative gossip is sapping your |
| energy available to you to do the really important | | | | energy, diverting your towards the negative. The |
| things that you have to do today. You don't need to | | | | result - your negative energy is actively contributing |
| be a mathematician to calculate that time wasted on | | | | to a negative world - to stress, worry, anxiety, |
| crap reduces the amount of time for the things you | | | | violence and war. Every drop of "negative" adds to |
| have to do. And, yet, many people complain that | | | | the sea of negativity. |
| they simply don't have enough hours in the day to | | | | Stop it. Grow up. Focus on the good in all our lives. |
| do all the things on their "To Do" list! | | | | Not only will you feel better - not only will a few |
| If you're investing your energy in the negative you're | | | | people around you feel better for it too - you'll be |
| perpetuating a well-proven fact that the normal mind | | | | more upbeat and focused to wholeheartedly do |
| tends towards negativity. This is seriously bad for | | | | what really needs to be done today. But, better than |
| you because it is your own state of mind that | | | | that and more importantly, you'll set yourself off on |
| creates your life. Energy in : energy out - by pouring | | | | the merry-go-round of karma - by putting positive in, |
| your energy into the negative you're not just | | | | you'll get positive out. Now, that makes more sense, |
| wasting your time, diverting yourself from the | | | | doesn't it? |
