Tuesday, when I posted some good news to the internet, I did not expect someone to accuse me of bragging. I had a lot of good news in a short period to report, and people who know me well know that I usually report little because it's either blase or bad, and so it was high time I did this. However, I began to think about this duplicitous standard and the envy of those angry with my good fortune.
From what I gather, it's never ok for you to share good news. That's bragging. It's only ok for you to post bad news. Other people can post good things all they like, rejoice in the small and large, ad infinitum, but if you do it, it's bad. Why? I believe it has its roots in envy- that other people are jealous things are well for you because they're not well for them. After all, that's really what the Occupy Wall Street protest is about- jealousy.
Ironically enough, I don't usually post bad news. Lots of other people I know regularly and constantly opine their sad state of affairs. When those people post something good, I don't see other people load up on them and tell them they shouldn't brag. People must just assume that my life is a panacea where I fart rainbows and eat skittles and laugh while falling in a swimsuit with my rippling abs into a pool full of liquid chocolate, all without weight gain. They envy me my life, ironically enough, despite the fact that they are the ones who have everything that's supposed to make people happy.
A friend of mine put forth the notion that people who do not like you do not really like themselves. They are jealous that you do like yourself, that you're comfortable with yourself, and that you take joy in small things like sunsets, inchworms, and cactus flowers. Perhaps this is why there isn't more good news in general. People don't like to feel like they're the only ones having a rough time. If the news is bad, they feel as if they have commisserators and thank God things are worse or at least just as bad for someone else.
Share good news. There is a completely different energy to good news. It reminds us that good wins in the end, that good things come after patience and faith, and that there are good people and good events in the world. For those who care, it allows them to share in the joy. It is a perfectly natural thing to want to share good news, not to brag, but because it excites you, and you want to share that feeling with others. The more we continue to accentuate the negative, the more we come to believe it to be the norm, when it is actually exceptional to the rule. Good things happen all the time. We are not continually reminded of them, and therefore we lose sight of the bright moments in life.
Sometimes when I consider the past, I feel sad. Many of the people with whom I shared my life no longer acknowledge they even know me. Lately, I have taken to expressions of gratitude to God that I was able because of those associations to do things I might not otherwise have done and meet people I might otherwise not have met and share things with people I might otherwise have done alone. Under the guise of sharing and equality, the protestors are demanding that other people share against their will. That is contrary to positive energy. People who are forced to come along rarely make the experience a positive one.
They say that smiles can uplift other people. Your positive energy can exert powerful effects on the people around you. Share it with people and at times that will uplift, inspire, and encourage other people around you. Life is richer when you share it.
1 comment:
I am appalled that someone actually accused you of bragging. Totally offends me to read that.
Your good news was just that - -great news that needed to be shared. I loved reading it -- so don't stop.
xoxo
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