I find the positive in the negative all the time. Any time you

When Monica declared, “I find the positive in the negative all the time. Any time you give something power, it wins, and it can continuously happen, so I just let negative people know they have no place in my life. They have no place around my children,” she revealed a truth that burns like a lamp in the night: that we are not slaves to the darkness around us, but guardians of the light within us. Her words remind us that negativity is like a weed — it grows only when it is given soil and water. But when starved of attention, it withers. To master life is to choose what receives your power.

The ancients knew this truth well. Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and Stoic, wrote that the soul is dyed by the color of its thoughts. If we dwell upon bitterness, our hearts grow bitter; if we turn to hope, our spirits shine. Monica’s wisdom echoes this same principle: to find the positive in the negative is to reclaim authority over one’s own spirit, to refuse to let external shadows dictate the brightness of the inner flame.

History provides many witnesses to this strength. Consider Viktor Frankl, who endured the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. Surrounded by despair, he discovered that the final freedom of man was the power to choose his own attitude, even in the darkest of circumstances. Though the world around him was filled with cruelty, he chose to find the positive — the meaning of life, the spark of dignity — even in suffering. Like Monica, he refused to give power to the negative, and through this refusal, he overcame.

Monica’s words also shine with the protective fire of motherhood. She declares that negative people have no place around her children, for she knows that the young are tender soil, easily shaped by the seeds that fall upon them. To guard her children from toxic influences is to cultivate a garden of peace in which they may grow strong and whole. In this, she embodies the ancient role of the parent as both nurturer and protector — one who not only provides bread but also shields from poison.

The heart of this teaching is sovereignty. Life will always present darkness, cruelty, envy, and malice. But these forces cannot conquer unless we hand them the keys to our hearts. By denying them power, by refusing them space, we render them powerless. In contrast, by feeding hope, kindness, and gratitude, we magnify them until they shape every corner of our lives. Thus, the choice belongs to us: will we yield to negativity, or will we stand as guardians of positivity?

The lesson is clear: do not allow negativity to take root in your spirit, nor in the lives of those you love. Be deliberate in your relationships. Choose companions who encourage, uplift, and strengthen you, and cast aside those who poison your days with bitterness. In doing so, you affirm your dignity, and you build a shield around your children, your home, and your soul.

In practice, this means setting clear boundaries with those who drain your energy. When negative voices arise, refuse to argue or indulge them. Instead, withdraw their power by denying them your attention. At the same time, cultivate positivity through gratitude journals, uplifting words, and acts of kindness. In this way, your life becomes not a battlefield consumed by shadows, but a sanctuary of light.

Therefore, remember Monica’s wisdom: negativity wins only when you give it power. Refuse to surrender that power. Choose instead to find the positive in the negative, to shield your children from harm, and to fill your days with light. In doing so, you will not only endure, but you will flourish, and your life will shine as an example for generations yet to come.