Tragic Optimism: A Cure for Toxic Positivity
If you feel that the positive thinking movement has let you down, experiment with tragic ...
Do you remember the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey? It was a staple at so many of the kids’ birthday parties I went to when I was younger. Every child got a tail, and in front of them was a poster of a donkey who was missing one. The objective was to pin the tail on the donkey in the right spot, but the catch was each child would get blindfolded and then spun around a few times before being set free to attempt the task. After the blindfold and the spinning, you would have no clue which way you were facing, never mind where the donkey was and where to pin its tail! Most kids would miss the mark, and I remember laughing as I watched them pin the tail on the head or the back, and even poke the donkey in the eye. In some cases, they missed the poster of the donkey altogether.
This is exactly what happens when you try to create without knowing what you want and without setting an intention. You become just like the child who is blindfolded and spun around over and over. You are confused, in the dark, and nine times out of ten, you miss the mark.
The Universe responds to direction, and in order to direct it you need to know what it is you want to create. My guess is you’re already clear on what you don’t want in your life, and it’s likely what you are experiencing right now in the areas you feel stuck. You might be unhappy in your relationship or feel lonely because you’re currently single. You might be miserable in your job, aggravated by your boss, or feel unfulfilled in your career. Maybe you’re struggling to pay bills or save money, and it’s a constant source of stress and worry in your life. Or maybe you feel disconnected spiritually from the love and support of a higher power.
But what do you want? Have you taken the time to think about the new direction in which you would like to move, the new circumstances you would like to create, and how it would make you feel? Without clarity and intention, you continue to create more of what you don’t want, and you likely continue to feel stuck.
Achieving clarity on what you would like to see, why you would like to see it, and how it will make you feel sets the wheels of the Universe and its energy into motion so it starts guiding you toward what you want or something even more incredible. You don’t need to figure it all out or plan out every detail, and most importantly, you don’t have to know how, when, or where it will happen. In fact, I don’t recommend doing any of that. Leave the how, when, who, and where to the Universe. When you are too detailed with these aspects of creation, you actually block yourself from noticing the signs pointing you toward an even better option.
Clarity and intention around what you want, why, and how you will feel when you get there are all you need to ignite the power of the Universe to propel you forward. Then it’s your job to let go and let it guide you—and be open to being led to something even more amazing than your mind can conceive on its own.
Excerpted from The Higher Help Method: Stop Trying to Manifest and Let the Universe Guide You (Chapter One: Clarity and Intention) by Tammy Mastroberte.
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