More Positive Thinking

To add to my blog on positive thinking, I got to thinking about some things.  Here in St. Louis, we've had quite a violent last couple of weeks.  A couple of days ago, a minister was shot in front of his congregation while giving his sermon.  Several people have been killed in recent drunk driving accidents. Everyday there are people who are arrested for all kinds of violent crime.  Following these types of stories, watching the news and reading the newspaper can really get negative thoughts flowing.  To guard myself from negativity, I rarely watch the news and read only headlines in the newspaper.  I like to use the defense mechanism of denial in a healthy way by avoiding large doses of negativity.  This helps me focus more on the positive side of life.  I challenge you to look at how you get doses of negativity.  Do you need a news-free day?  Do you need to avoid those negative co-workers gossiping at the water cooler? How can you better take care of yourself so you can stay positive?