Anything that's not positive, I don't have the energy to focus

Hear the words of DMX, forged in struggle and fire, spoken with the blunt honesty of one who has known both the heights of glory and the depths of pain: “Anything that’s not positive, I don’t have the energy to focus on it. Anything that’s not going in the right direction, I don’t have the time or the energy.” These words are not polished with elegance but hammered with truth. They remind us that life is short, that our strength is limited, and that to squander it on darkness is to rob ourselves of the light.

The ancients too declared such wisdom. Did not Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, say that the soul is dyed by the color of its thoughts? If we let bitterness and folly consume us, our days are wasted. But if we guard our mind, fixing it on virtue and strength, our lives move forward with clarity. DMX, in his raw and modern tongue, speaks the same truth: that our energy is sacred, and must be guarded against the devouring jaws of negativity and distraction.

Consider the tale of Frederick Douglass. Born in slavery, surrounded by cruelty and despair, he might have surrendered to hopelessness. Yet he chose to focus not on chains, but on the vision of freedom. He poured his time and energy into learning to read, into growing his mind, into preparing himself for the life he knew was possible. Had he wasted his spirit on anger alone, he would have perished in obscurity. But by guarding his focus, by turning only toward what was positive and in the right direction, he rose to become one of the greatest voices of liberty.

DMX himself lived a life marked by battles—against poverty, against inner demons, against the temptations that sought to destroy him. Yet again and again, he returned to this truth: he could not afford to spend his spirit on what dragged him down. The streets taught him that to survive, he had to keep his eyes on forward motion. His words are not the theory of a philosopher, but the testimony of a survivor who knew that his energy was precious and must be spent only on what carried him higher.

But take heed, O children of tomorrow: the world is filled with traps of distraction, with voices that draw you toward despair, with battles that do not serve your destiny. If you pour your energy into these, you will find yourself empty, your time wasted, your purpose abandoned. The lesson is not to deny hardship, but to refuse to be chained to it. By choosing where to place your focus, you choose the path of your life.

The lesson is clear: guard your mind, your spirit, and your energy as treasures. Do not waste them on arguments that lead nowhere, on relationships that drag you down, on pursuits that bring only emptiness. Instead, invest them in growth, in purpose, in the building of something greater. Focus not on what is broken, but on what can be built. Focus not on what is dying, but on what can live.

Practical wisdom lies before you: each day, ask yourself, Is this moving me in the right direction? If not, release it. Write down what is worth your time, and measure your actions against it. Keep company with those who lift you, not those who drain you. When negativity comes knocking, answer it with silence and walk away. For your energy is finite, and to waste it is to lose the very strength that could have carried you toward your purpose.

Therefore, let DMX’s words burn in your heart: “Anything that’s not positive, I don’t have the energy… Anything not in the right direction, I don’t have the time.” This is not only a mantra—it is a shield. Carry it with you, and you will walk with clarity, with strength, and with the unbreakable power of a soul that refuses to be consumed by the shadows.