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The battle inside you - part 3
In the previous column (part 2), I discussed the positive emotions of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, and humility. Part 1 reviewed the negative emotions of anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, superiority, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego.
This column will finish with the remaining positive emotions of kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
The purpose of these three columns is to contrast the positive and negative forces that we all have inside. Our lives are shaped, and our future influenced, by the emotions we cultivate. You have the power to choose which forces form your character.
It’s normal to experience conflicting emotions. Often negative feelings are the first response to problems and adversity. Understanding the consequences of giving in to them will motivate you to select a positive path. Here are the rest of the positive emotions.
Being benevolent and treating people with kindness has many benefits. Those you interact with feel good. You feel good. And you create a positive energy that attracts good things. Furthermore, you will never regret, or have to apologize for, your behavior.
Anyone can be kind when they are happy. However, when you feel bad, it’s difficult to be kind. But this is when you need to be the most thoughtful, as it will help you feel better. Not everyone will appreciate your kindness, but it doesn’t matter, enough people will.
You won’t feel like being kind to anyone who treats you poorly. That’s OK. You are better off spending little or no time with them rather than being mean. You don’t want to allow others to pull you down to their low level of behavior.
Show empathy and compassion rather than feeling sorry for someone else’s situation. Empathy is an understanding of what another person is experiencing. If you want to and it’s appropriate, be compassionate by offering to help.
There are many ways to offer assistance. You can give your time, expertise, share how you overcame obstacles, and be there to listen. Many times, it is a big help when another person knows you care.
Too many people view the world as everyone for themselves. In reality, generous people are much happier and more successful than their self-focused counterparts. The principle at work is that you can get anything in life you want by helping enough others get what they want.
Being generous does not mean self-sacrifice. You can take care of your own well being while showing generosity to others. If you haven’t already done so, try being more charitable. I’m sure you will be pleased with the results.
Truthfulness is far more potent than deception. Trickery may have the illusion of being a shortcut to success. There may even be short-term gains. Ultimately, a life of lies invariably leads to unhappiness and despair.
There are limitless options for honest attainment of success. There is no secret, all you have to do is be of service to others or solve problems. Effort is part of life. The path of less resistance yields few if any rewards.
Have faith in yourself and your abilities. Have faith that when you are a good person and do good things, you will attract positive things. Have faith that you can overcome obstacles and solve problems.
You have the power to decide the outcome of the battle within you. You can’t lose by always choosing positive emotions and actions.