Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!

Hear, O seekers of light, the words of Donna Karan, who declared: “Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” This is not merely a call to fashion or outward beauty, but a command of the soul, a guiding principle for the inner life. For the human heart is like a loom, weaving each thought, each memory, each vision into the fabric of destiny. If one threads the loom with bitterness, despair, and fear—the cloth will be heavy, torn, and dark. But if one chooses threads of joy, gratitude, and courage, then the garment of life will shine like sunlight upon the waters.

To delete the negative is to refuse the poison of resentment, to cast away the burden of self-doubt, to silence the whispers of failure that echo within. This does not mean denying that sorrow exists, nor pretending that pain is unreal. It means refusing to let sorrow become the ruler, refusing to let pain define the spirit. For the negative, if clung to, becomes a chain. But if released, it is no more than smoke carried away by the wind.

To accentuate the positive is to choose—consciously, bravely—to magnify the light. It is to give weight and voice to hope, to speak aloud what uplifts, to magnify beauty in the midst of ugliness. The positive may sometimes appear small, a candle in the storm, but when cherished, it grows. What we focus upon becomes our master, and if we exalt the good, the good multiplies. Thus Karan’s command is not just advice, but a weapon against despair, a strategy for the battlefield of life.

Consider the example of Anne Frank, hidden in the shadows of war, surrounded by fear, betrayal, and death. The negative was all around her—yet she chose to write of hope, of beauty, of the enduring goodness of the human heart. Though her life was cut short, her diary became a beacon to generations. She deleted the negative by refusing to let it consume her spirit, and she accentuated the positive by recording visions of courage, laughter, and belief in humanity. Even in the darkest hour, her words remind us that the soul has the power to choose its gaze.

This teaching carries both strength and tenderness. It is not the command of the blind optimist who denies reality, but of the wise soul who knows reality can be shaped by focus. The world gives both shadow and light. The weak are dragged into despair by shadows; the strong lift their faces toward light. What you water grows; what you starve fades. If you starve negativity by refusing it your attention, and water positivity with gratitude and praise, then joy will bloom even in barren soil.

The lesson for us is clear: guard the gates of your mind. Do not let negative thoughts, harsh words, or poisonous doubts take root. Each day, ask yourself: What beauty can I celebrate? What hope can I lift up? When darkness comes, do not deny it, but refuse to bow to it. Search deliberately for the glimmer of light within it, and make that glimmer your compass.

Practical steps flow naturally. Each morning, speak aloud three things for which you are grateful. When negativity rises, breathe deeply and release it like smoke into the air. When you hear a kind word, magnify it; when you see a small good, celebrate it. Surround yourself with those who also seek light, for company shapes the soul. And above all, act—do not merely think positively, but embody positivity in deeds: smile, forgive, encourage, and build.

Thus Donna Karan’s words endure as a mantra for warriors of the spirit: “Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” Live by this teaching, and you will not be broken by shadows. Instead, you will walk as one clothed in radiance, carrying light into every place you tread. And generations to come will remember not the weight of your sorrows, but the brightness of your spirit.