Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Is nuclear energy good or bad? Are guns good or bad? Is something as basic as food, good or bad?
Anything in this world is neither purely good nor purely bad; it all depends on how it is used. If nuclear energy is used to provide electricity, it can be good; but if it’s used in the form of a bomb to destroy and kill, then it’s bad. The same is true for guns and even food; if they’re used in a positive and constructive way, they can be catalysts for good, and if not, they can be destructive.
This is also true regarding emotions, they can be positive and they can be negative. When we hear terrible news, we can either react by allowing ourselves the comforting selfishness of dealing with it, or we can react by using the emotion in a positive way, for example as a catalyst for growth.
This does not mean to ignore the reality of the loss or to retreat into some disconnected cocoon. This means to channel the emotion so that it has a positive expression. It’s just the other side of the same emotional reaction.
This past week was a difficult one in the Chabad world, as a young woman, a Chabad representative in Georgia, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. (And this is barely a week after the head Chabad representative in Illinois passed away).
The first automatic response is a deep sense of loss and a feeling of pain and concern for the family. But the real work lies not in feeling sad but rather in channeling the emotion into action. Using this energy, currently associated with negative emotion, and transforming it into fuel for positive action. This is what truly brings comfort.
May we share good news and may we succeed in appreciating and focusing on the good and positive and constructive side of all the experiences in our lives!
Click here to read Goldie's thoughts on this, from her blog www.littleyellownotepad.com