It’s OK no to be OK!
How many of you have been often lectured by the so called “Positivity Gurus” to be Positive and Happy while you are facing an emotional turbulence? How many of you have been advised to stay strong and face your problems instead of being overwhelmed and express yourself with utmost vulnerability? My question to all these “Positivity Gurus” AKA “sab theek ho jaayega”(everything will be alright) advocates is that “what is the harm in being vulnerable ?” Can’t a person express his or her sadness or grief the way he or she expresses his or her happiness and joy? Why is it so mandatory for us as humans to not express our vexation that raw? My list of Why’s in this regard is quite endless…
A Big shout out to all those “Positivity Gurus” who cant swear enough over the fact “positivity is the key to successful life” that positive and negative emotions form an integral part of human behavior. Toxic positivity kills an individual inside out so instead of spreading this toxic positivity,we should rather focus and emphasize over offering support and validation to people in need as toxic positivity does more harm than good to an individual.
In this era of sudden cultural shift towards positivity as obsession,it seems like there’s not a lot of room to experience the normal range of human emotion. In fact the message we get is the opposite: if you feel down for too long you should probably go find yourself a prescription. Let’s be honest and consider the fact that If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of well-meaning but wildly unsettling positivity advice, then you know how crap it feels.
Commanding someone to ignore their negative feelings and just be happy obviously isn’t a solution to anything–except maybe making the advice-giver feel better. Therefore, if you recognize yourself as a transmitter of toxic positivity, it’s time to cut it out. You’re hurting yourself and the people you care about most by insisting on this monochromatic mindset. Instead of practicing toxic positivity, aim for balance and the acceptance of both good and bad emotions rather than all-or-nothing thinking.
Measuring your imperfect life against an impossible standard is never a good idea! It’s much healthier to just accept what this human life really is: a mix of high and low, good and bad, black and white and consequently ,seeking for validation and support , after all it’s OK not to be OK!!
