Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson did an interview with Hot 97 in 2014 that left me shooketh. Towards the end of the interview, she dropped some wisdom that everyone should hold on to.
“I surround myself with good energy cause energy is transferable. If you hang out with somebody with a dark cloud, the rain gone get you eventually,” Taraji said.
Taraji literally preached a whole sermon in less than five seconds.
I’ve heard that you become what you center yourself around. If you constantly surround yourself in negativity, gossip, anger, etc., what do you think the outcome will be?
A lot of my recent conversations have been about holding on to peace when negativity is constantly around, which can be extremely tough.
There have been times when I was in a great mood, and it all changed with a gloomy conversation or interaction. It later put me in a negative headspace and left me questioning how my attitude shifted so quickly.
The answer is that I allowed it to happen and didn’t create boundaries for it not to affect me.
It can be hard to escape negativity because it’s around us everyday. We watch it on tv, listen to it on media platforms and associate with it through people we do or don’t know.
One of the fascinating things I’m learning is that just because I’m around it doesn’t mean I have to stay in it or dwell on it. I have to make the decision to turn it off or walk away from it, which can be easier said than done sometimes.
This has also caused me to be more self aware of the things and situations that could invite what Taraji calls “dark clouds” into my sunny attitude. The more you’re aware of where the negativity comes from, the more you know how to combat it.
This looks like limiting your news consumption if it’s prone to upset you, taking certain conversations with a grain of salt if the other person never has anything positive or uplifting to say or finding new acquaintances if the ones you’re used to only have bad vibes.
It’s imperative to focus on the energy you bring and generate from. There’s more to life than standing under dark clouds, especially if you can’t change the outcome.
Caleb Britt 