Manifesting Magic, Part 7: Don't Let Others Bring You Down

Part of manifesting positive energy is gaining the ability to push aside the negativity that others
might try to force on you, (knowingly or unknowingly).

The best way to control the type of energy that enters your life is by evaluating your social life.
When it comes to creating a positive social circle, you have the power to surround yourself with
people who bring positivity rather than negativity.

If you’re spending the majority of your time with people who cause you stress, fear, anger, or
unhappiness, it’s probably a good idea to start reaching out to new people who can help build
you up, encourage you and support and celebrate your successes.

Remember, you’re working to build trust and confidence in yourself, which is a lot easier to do
when you surround yourself with people who are on the same journey as you.

A simple activity to do is make a list of all the people you spend time with. This includes people you see in person, people you connect with online or with your phone. Once you've completed your list, put a + next to the people who support and encourage you and with whom you have positive interactions. Put a - next to the people who put you down, stress you out or discourage you. Put a 0 next to the rest, who are most likely neutral influences.

Take a look at the list and see how you can increase your time around the + list and decrease your time around the - list.

The first time I did this, my Mom was on my - list. That was a tough one for me to sort out. I love my Mom but my twice weekly conversations with her turned judgey after the first ten minutes on the phone. To address this, I simply reduced the time we talked to 10 minutes and said goodbye just as things were beginning to go down hill. It was perfect. This went on for a year before she asked me why we no longer had our long conversations. I had so much positive in our relationship I was able to be honest with her about why I had intentionally decreased our phone chat time. I was delighted (and shocked) that she asked for more time if she promised to keep her side of the conversation on the positive side. Several years later, my Mom got pretty sick and became terminal. I was so happy to be able to be by her side as she moved on to her next great adventure. And our time together was positive and supportive and loving and so beautiful that it made our challenges well worth it.
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“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambition. Small people always do that, but the
really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain