I was feeling peeved today by a chain email.  It contained a beautiful message and a lovely prayer, followed by a warning of the disaster that might befall me unless I pass it on to x# of friends.  I don't react well to demand, certainly not when I'm not even sure where it originated.  I defintely don't want to pass it on to others, not the message and definitely not the demand.  But since I am acutely aware that what I focus on, becomes manifest, I asked myself:  Is there another way for me to see this?  What is behind email forwards and chains?  How do I feel about the person who sent this to me?  It came from someone with whom I've been bonded all of my life, someone I love deeply but rarely connect with directly.  Perhaps, the lovely message and the prayer was all that was meant to be shared.  Perhaps, I've gotten peeved by someone who is reaching out to connect with me.  I just wish he would have taken the warning out.  I wonder--Did he send it to me to stave off the disaster?  Or did he send it to me because he said the prayer for me?  It doesn't matter now.  Either way, I feel how I much I love him.  If he is heading off disater, I feel compassion and love.  If he is sending me a prayer, I feel appreciation and love.  Now, I don't feel peeved.  Now I feel love!  Now I want to send a prayer his way.  I'm so glad I looked more closely at my focus.  It took all of one minute.

It is so easy for me (us) to opt for the negative.  It is part of our nature as human beings.  But knowing that gives us the opportunity to explore our reactions, see the negativity for what it is and transform it.   There is no need to judge ourselves.  Judgement is simply another negative expression.  Making an intention to notice what we are feeling in the mundane parts of our day, such as reading email and driving in traffic, brings us opportunities to explore our semi-conscious focus, more consciously.  What are you feeling as you read this?  Is your focus on negative or positive?  What is your intention for yourself?