For my 7,000th post here...

[mojocaster.com]

... I wanted to post something positive.

So here goes nothing

A dear friend of mine, whom I call my "brother-by-choice"', is fond of saying that Mother Teresa once explained that she would never be seen at an anti-war rally, but that she would be glad to join a pro-peace rally.

That got me thinking.

So as an experiment, I decided to actively repress negative urges in my life and replace them by a positive statement instead, and to see after a while what the effect of such a change would be.

For example, why say "I hate [insert John Mayer's name here]" when you can say "I love young guitar players full of chops, song-writing skills, who can inspire the next generation to not only pick up a guitar, but also be inspired to work diligently at their craft and discover the previous generations of guitar and music greats."

These are my conclusions:

1. Hate, not unlike its ugly cousin anger, is a liar. By that I mean that it diminishes people to being a one-dimensional version of a 3-D individual. If you truly believe that you hate [insert John Mayer's name here], what is it about the guy that you really hate? Is it his face when he sings? His voice? What you perceive as his shtick? Whatever it is, it is not *all* the object of your anger/hatred is, and pretending that it is is inherently dishonest. Short of it is: you're lying to yourself because it feels good to diminish that person down to that one thing, or collection of things, you don't like about them. Hardly a constructive use of your time.

2. This process becomes second nature before you know it. At first it's a discipline, but then it becomes automatic because you've conditioned yourself to look for the beauty of the moment - not the ugliness.

3. It does make you happier to be surrounded by happy thoughts. It allows you to further enjoy the beauty around you, especially in those little things that we are oblivious to because we're so busy bitching about ugliness.

4. It makes you become a better friend, or at least a friend whose company is more enjoyed. Who doesn't want to be around someone who smiles more?

5. This said, I still relapse and wallow in negativism regularly. What can I say, I have my flaws But at least now I am more efficient at recognising it, and therefore "snap out of it" faster than before.

I'm not saying that it's the cure to the all the ills in the word. I'm not saying that I'm the first one to come across this basic skill either. I am saying that it's helped me deal with the ugliness of this past year, and heck, if it can help someone else, then it was worthy of being posted.

Be well, and my thanks to the people who work so hard on this site to allow us to enjoy this community.

?? Nah...

[Irreverent]

Let me be the first to say you can't lose with positivity. Now if I could just consistently remember that!

Peace.

[mojocaster.com]

You and me both, brother, you and me both.

And thank you for the kind wishes, thoughts and words you sent my way this year. They are always appreciated!

[A-Bone]

Me too. I also find that those moments where I can embrace real gratitude leave me with a sense of contentment that is otherwise lacking from my conscious self.

[Blanket Jackson]

I really enjoyed the thoughtfulness and time that you put into the "experiment" and the conclusions. Like most of us, you have a desire to become a better person, and I salute you for your willingness to examine "the man in the mirror" and to "make that change". Bravo.




Now, for real, John Mayer is a wanker ....