A 21-Day Negativity Fast: Inspiration from a Truly Blessed Man

By Caroline Myss
Original Content  |  March 10, 2010

 
        As a minister, Willie has his method of counteracting negative thinking carefully charted: meditation, referencing scripture and prayer. Not everyone is a minister, obviously, so for those of you interested in conducting a 21-day negativity fast, here are some suggestions as to how to maintain that fast when confronted with ordinary and extraordinary inner and exterior negativity:

Practical Wisdom

• Don’t strive for perfection and don't think in terms of 21 days. It's one day at a time.

• Keep your fast to yourself. Don't talk about it to others.

• Keep five favorite inspirational pieces at the ready that genuinely shift you into an altered inner state. These may be prayers, poems, a lovely selection from literature, lyrics from a song, a particularly meaningful letter, even words written to yourself—or a combination of the above. Refer to one (or more) when you feel yourself slipping into a negative place.

• Use breathing techniques for centering.

• Walk away from stressful situations or conversations that are unnecessary to your life. Do not expose yourself to any unessential stress.

• Do mini-meditations and mantras to regroup.

• Do not share with others what is troubling you, as you are feeding the negative beast within. Instead, practice detachment. More often than not, what troubles others in your world has nothing to do with you. It's your own insecurities that make you think that the bad or sad moods of others are somehow connected to you. Remind yourself of that fact. Stay detached and do not interfere with the difficulties of others. Do not invite negativity into your life.

• Consciously look for what is good, beautiful, positive and loving in your life. Remind yourself to choose love, if only in the form of seeing the positive in something or someone.

• Practice gratitude for big and small things, for friends and family, for home and food—for the blessing of your life.

• Have no expectations of any outcomes or rewards for your efforts. If you are going to do this fast, do it because it just makes so much sense.

Finally, remind yourself that on Day 22, if your life shows no signs of improvement from being loving and positive, you can always go back to being negative. Good luck.