Toxic Positivity is Good Vibes Only

We have all heard that phrase...

Although "Good vibes only," sounds seemingly upbeat & harmless, this is the slogan of toxic positivity. Sure, it is good to aim for a positive mindset but that does not make the full range of our emotions irrelevant. There is a purpose behind every emotion that we feel and a specific lesson behind it.

Feeling sadness, anger or pain are all integral parts of the human experience.

When we learn from these emotions it helps us grow, offering an opportunity to not repeat the same mistakes over. Without these sensations of discomfort, we would never evolve or refine our very authenticity. The key is to allow these emotions to flow through us like water & ask what it is here to teach us at this time. Holding onto a negative emotion for too long will have a damaging impact and can us to get stuck in that frequency.

Another side effect of constant positivity is the act of repressing undesired feelings.

This never ends up well. Advanced scientific research is proving that cancer is often the product of repressed emotions. If you do not deal with it now, you most certainly will deal with it later. It is best to face whatever you are going through fully, in the present, or it will magnify as something else, years later, physically or emotionally.

We all have that friend or family member that keeps dating the same type of person over & over again.

The names change but the problems stay the same. This is because that person is repeating a familiar trauma, they experienced earlier in life to find comfort in what they know. Dealing with childhood trauma is the catalyst of transformation.

When we are fully honest with ourselves and take ownership of our experience it will unlock the opportunity to become something else.

But if we are determined to stay positive all the time, this does not offer any window into shadow work & looking at the darkness within. By revisiting repressed experiences, it offers a way for them to be cracked open so that new light may be let in. This work is hard, but necessary to improve each person’s set point of happiness.

The path to healing on a soul level requires not being positive all the time.

Being fully honest and genuine with what we have felt will offer a place of surrender & eventually serenity of being able to let it go. Think of healing as a spiral, because it refuses to be linear. The true thing to aim for is balance.

None of us will always be happy, no matter how hard we try, because we are simply not programmed to do so.

It is also important to recognize that no one should entertain being sad or angry all the time either.  These extremes are signs that the person has outgrown their current identity but may not have the tools necessary to heal.

Energy work like Reiki is very helpful in situations like this.

When feeling stuck or hopeless, seeking help from a professional therapist or energy healer can offer a way out of the internal spiraling and repetition. An outside perspective has the power to illuminate a new path & offer tools that the client can take with them.

The ups & downs of life are just a part of what we came here to learn.

The good times would never be appreciated fully without the presence of the bad. This is the essence of contrast, the very fabric of life. Be true to yourself and your experience, every part of the way. Investigating the darkness is just as important as the light, and may you find balance in the transformation that every emotion provides. If you would like support in your journey, please reach out to Tinsley Tarot.

Love + Light,