Detach from Negative Forces—Sept. 22

September 22, 2024

Sunday SAGe Newsletter Volume 1: Detach from Negative Forces

Happy Sunday!

This is the first installment of Sunday SAGe, a weekly email communication that shares inspiration from The Wellness Ethic to help people thrive.

Once you read the email, I encourage you to try out the ideas that resonate. See what works during the week. See what you learn. You’ll find that the positive energy you create is all upside! Sunday SAGe can be a great way to keep wellness front and center in your life.

Detach from Negative Forces

An excerpt from The Wellness Ethic (inspired by the Stoics):

One of the guiding principles of The Wellness Ethic is that you control your perspective regarding what is happening around you. You can choose to have a positive or negative outlook.

“Begin in the morning by saying to yourself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil … I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, not can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him. For we are made for cooperation … To act against one another then is contrary to nature.”

—Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor, Stoic philosopher

The Stoic understands that they alone can’t alter the course of the world, nor can they prevent the malcontent from trying to cast a loveless shadow through their insensitive words or misguided deeds.

The Stoic expects they will encounter negative forces throughout their day, so they’re not surprised when they do. When it happens, they accept that things will happen in life that they can’t control. They then detach themselves from the negative energy by focusing on what they can control: maintaining inner tranquility and acting within their sphere of influence. The Stoic understands that negative forces always want to occupy their consciousness—it’s their choice whether they allow them in.

What It Means

You will encounter positive and negative forces throughout your day. It’s the nature of human existence. Your mindset in the moment and your response to your circumstances are the primary drivers of your happiness. When something negative occurs, you have a choice to make: You can allow the negativity to consume you, plummeting you into unhappiness, or you can detach from the negative energy by focusing on what you always control—your state of mind and positive response to what happens in your life.

Your Call to Action

During the week, make a conscious effort to be aware when negativity knocks at your door—whether it’s something someone said or did, a current event that bothers you, like climate change or politics, or an unfortunate situation that is out of your control. Then, accept that what has happened as a part of life and focus on maintaining a peaceful mindset as you choose a positive response to move your life forward. That is always within your control.

If you struggle maintaining a positive mindset in the moment, try diverting your mind through meditation, taking a walk, exercising, reading, or listening to music. By doing so, your subconscious mind will process what happened and help you work toward developing an optimistic outloook as you decide how to move forward.

To keep your intention to detach from negative forces in front of you, consider writing the word “healthy detachment” on a Post-It note and placing it on your computer monitor, a bathroom mirror, or in your car.

Have a great week!