March 12, 2015 WBAS Topics Prayer, REL Topic- Prayer
By: Kathy Hendricks
When I go through the security line at the airport, I don’t expect much in the way of interaction between me and the agent checking my credentials. Last week was an exception. As I waited to be called forward, the agent was wrapping up a conversation with a coworker. She laughed as I approached and told me she decided to bow out of all the “hoola-boola” going on around her. Those were her words, she explained, but I understood immediately. No matter what the organization or institution – business, church, family, or airport – there is a certain amount of drama taking place at any given moment. I told her I’d seen enough hoola-boola in my life to relate to what she was saying. Bowing out of it is a step towards sanity.
I wish I could say I always saw it this way. Over the years I have given way too much time and energy to people or situations that drained me. It was thus no surprise when I came across an article describing how most of our energy is emotional. Buying into the hoola-boola only depletes us and draws us away from the more positive and uplifting experiences in life. When we make choices to turn a deaf ear to gossip, to unplug from the shrill voices in the media, or to remain silent when we are tempted to throw our voice into the fray of dissonance and self-righteous opinions, we opt out of the negative and preserve our energy for that which is loving and grace-filled. Preserving positive energy is essential to living our Catholic faith.
This is easier said than done, to be sure. When we are highly invested in something, it’s a struggle to remain neutral and somewhat disengaged. At times, it might be more of a cop-out than a positive choice. I once read an article about the value of “displacement.” In simple terms, it calls for exchanging soul-draining situations with loving responses. Doing so displaces negative energy with something life-giving. One of the ways the TSA agent did this was with laughter. I don’t know the effects it had on the rest of her coworkers that day but I do know I walked out of the security area with a smile on my face.
Bright Ideas
- The lives of the saints provide a wonderful example of people who displaced negative energy with positive and loving energy. Read about a saint who inspires you and find activities for your class or group.
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Download my Prayer for a Joyful Heart and use it in your home or parish as a way to generate positive and loving energy.