Benefit #10: Positivity Enhances Our Spiritual/Faith Life
A key difference between positivity and negativity is that positivity tends toward expansiveness – relationships to others, wanting more out of life, emotions like joy and happiness. Do an image search for “happiness,” and what picture comes up again and again? People with their arms outstretched – expanding outward. Negativity, on the other hand, lends itself to a more closed perspective. I can’t. I don’t want to. I tried, but… All of those are reasons and ways to narrow opportunities and cut off access to the world.
Are you an open door or have you got a big CLOSED sign bolted across your chest?
Like positivity, the word “spirituality” tends to conjure positive responses and emotions: things like love, hope, joy, forgiveness, compassion, trust, gratitude, and awe. Please note, we are making a distinction here between spirituality and religion. Spirituality encompasses everything from attending services to prayer, meditation, yoga, nature walks, retreats, journaling, and more.
If you are looking to bring more positivity into your life, embracing a spiritual practice may be one way to do so. Likewise, if you are looking to increase your spiritual connection, investing in the pursuit of positivity may open the doors to those possibilities. The two concepts are seemingly interconnected.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any time, now, you may notice an overlap in themes from time to time. That’s hard to avoid when all roads lead to positivity. One theme I will touch on again is the caution that spirituality can lead to what is known as toxic positivity – when it encourages the belief that being a positive (or, in this case spiritual) person means you will never or should never experience anything negative. Or you should feel guilty if you do. That is complete horseshit.
We are humans here on Planet Earth. Have you been out in public lately? Yes, of course you will encounter a negative situation from time to time. The difference is that a positive person will experience the event, perhaps analyze it, maybe learn something from it, release it, and go on with their life. The negative person will feel they did something to deserve it, take it as proof the world is out to get them, pile it on top of all the other things that are going wrong, obsess over it, and/or let it lead to a downward spiral of further negativity.
Embracing more positivity can improve your spiritual journey in a number of ways.
- You will be more inclined to embrace the spiritual path and/or to find spiritual teachings and exercises interesting and helpful. If you’re not engaged, there’s really no reason to bother, is there?
- A positive outlook tends to increase our self-love and improve the way we view ourselves. Feeling better about ourselves often makes us more willing to reach out to others in an effort to connect. One nice way to make those connections is with people who have a similar spiritual pursuit or perspective.
- Seeking positivity may open you to the possibility of deeper self-awareness, often found through spiritual practices.
- A great way to become more positive is by giving back – volunteering, pitching in, making yourself useful to another in some way. Spiritual communities may be good places to find such opportunities.
- If your quest for positivity comes in conjunction with wanting to make a bigger shift in life, counseling or help from an objective third party may be an option for you. Perhaps a spiritual teacher or guide would be able to help you find answers or the direction you’re seeking.
How open are you to saying yes to more positivity? If you are serious about increasing your positivity threshold, you’ll want to sign up today for the 30-Day Positivity Challenge. This complimentary 30-day series of exercises gives participants a variety of assignments conducive to feeling better, overall. According to inspirational speaker Abraham Hicks, “Few realize that they can control the way they feel and positively affect the things that come into their life experience by deliberately directing their thoughts.” Abraham Hicks says we accomplish this by simply “reach[ing] for a better feeling thought.”
The decision is yours: Will you choose positivity?
JOIN THE 30-DAY POSITIVITY CHALLENGE TODAY!
#FairyPositive #BlogBoost
_____________
Laura Orsini is an author, speaker, consultant, publisher, and creator of Fairy Positive, an antidote to the worries of the world. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
FairyPositiveBlog 
Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike
You are welcome!
LikeLike
Being a person of faith, I certainly feel much more positive about life. SIgned up for the positivity challenge. Sounds interesting and fun.
LikeLike
Great, Lynn. I hope you will enjoy it!
LikeLike
I definitely hear you! Another category of facilitator, for those who seek to find their niche in religion/spirituality is the Spiritual Director. The Episcopal Church, the Catholic Church, and others have them. Also, praying for direction and clarity is always good. I do like religious/spiritual leaders who encourage their audiences with positivity and growth messages. People who feel positive may do more for others, such as help at food banks and homeless shelters. So many ways to show positivity.
LikeLike