Believe it or not, there is such a thing as being too positive. "Good vibes only," "keep your chin up," and "things will get better," are all common phrases tossed around when people are at their lowest of lows. The problem is, there are some people who take that mentality to the next level, and refuse to acknowledge the non-silver lining to any cloud. By shucking off the negative feelings, those folks surround themselves with toxic positivity, which you should absolutely stay away from.
"Toxic positivity" refers to the idea that staying positive, and always looking on the bright side of things, is the only correct way to be. You see toxic positivity manifests itself more and more these days, with the advent of wholesome culture and memes taking over. These images take the form of sickly-sweet jokes and comics that always have a positive twist. Over time, these images create a Pleasantville kind of effect that can be alienating if you are not right there with them.
While acting nice and being nice is always welcome, the truth is it is ok to feel bad. Many times, our lowest moments can lead to our biggest life changes, our biggest failures can help us reach our best achievements, and our L's can become our most important lessons.
Succumbing to toxic positivity can be a slippery slope. By ignoring your down feelings, you stop paying attention to them. Though they are not at the forefront of your mind, they are still there, deep down inside, bubbling up. It is only a matter of time before they all come boiling up to the top and your good vibes come crashing down.
Positively Present - Still Be Positive
My best advice is to embrace your low moments, but do not let them define you. Toxic positivity is pretending nothing bad ever happens, but that just isn't how life works. When bad things happen, soak them up, learn from your mistakes, and move on - and if you see someone else stuck in a rut, let them work it out, but help them if they need it.
