(ThyBlackMan.com) Elbert Hubbard once said, Positive anything is better than negative nothing. Our biggest daily challenges do not exist in the mundane jobs we perform or in the roles we occupy each given hour. Our most challenging job as human beings is to ward off the constant attacks of negativity that comes our way in the form of people, places and things at any given hour on any given day. It forces us to develop and rely on our best as we navigate the challenges of our physical environment. What follows is a four-step process to keep your space positive and remain absolute in your desire to win the day.
Develop a Spiritual Discipline
Someone anonymously said, Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life. If you want to keep your space positive, you must begin with 
establishing a spiritual discipline. A spiritual discipline is a system of behaviors and actions that are intended to keep you focused and mentally alert. It could be anything from meditation to yoga to morning walks. Whatever it is, you stick to it on a daily basis, whether in the morning or evening. What this does is establish a spiritual center, from which you operate your day. It’s not fail-proof, as no system can be, but it does mean that you more likely to fall back on your spiritual practice and discipline when faced with perpetually difficult people and situations.
Identify the Negative Detractors
Secondly, to keep your space positive, identify the negative detractors in your daily experience. Who are the people who bring the most negative energy into your life? Is it your spouse or lover? Is it your family or friends? Or maybe it’s your co-workers? Regardless, make a mental Who’s Who of Negative Energy and learn to recognize what famed coach Pat Riley termed peripheral enemies, the peace-busters in your life. Do not allow yourself to continue to be a dumping ground for these people. This is where ‘positive’ profiling comes in.
Declare a No-Negative Zone
Third, to keep your space positive, declare a ‘no-negative’ zone. In response to terrorism, the United States government developed a ‘no-fly’ list, intended to keep those associated with acts of terror from carrying out their mission. Similarly, consider a ‘no-negative’ zone. Think about all of the negative crap you collect from family, friends and co-workers throughout the day. Some of us are veritable trash dumpsters for others. We invite them to dump their malicious gossip, lies, loose talk on us when they feel up to it. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow, writes Helen Keller.
What better way to keep your space positive than to post a ‘no negative zone’, to declare to others that your mental peace is more valuable to you than gold. Creating a ‘no-negative’ zone begins at home.
Respond Do Not React
Fourth, to maintain a positive space, learn the difference between calm, measured responses and immediate gratification. If the above fails you, then you will have to lean on your own internal compass. When you find yourself in the middle of a negative encounter, it is crucially important to understand that, in the end, you have control of your emotions and therefore your response. Find what Joseph Campbell calls, the place inside.
Try to do just that when you find yourself face to face with negative people: respond – do not react. What’s the difference? A response is thought through while reacting is more instantaneous. Responding is controlled. Reaction is the opposite; it’s giving people a piece of your mind. Reacting is giving in to our brain’s wired tendency to ‘fight or flight’. It does not always end peaceably.
Remain poised and positive and you will win your day!
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitefitnesscoaching.com.