Something that came to mind a few days ago was the amount of speech and conversation we take part in and hear on a daily basis. In most cases it's usually friendly conversation or even business related, and everything else is through media and television/YouTube even. Hopefully, the majority of them consist of positive, thought provoking or constructive talk, but realistically, it probably is more negative than anything else. While we are bombarded with bad news, we can't help but hear it in many cases, but we don't have to listen to it.

I struggled with the negativity of the media, especially in college, and it effected the way I saw myself and my roll in society. I often thought that people would look at me as a threat or a danger, and so I limited my interactions with people to avoid any possibility of that coming true. I listened to the negative and let it define myself. I'm sure many of us have had a similar experience, where a good friend may think poorly of themselves, but you believe them to be as good or even better than yourself or others you know. Perhaps even their own despair effected you in a negative way. It's inevitable, unfortunately, to hear something negative and for it to try to influence your personal life or thoughts, but resisting that temptation to give into it is important to maintaining your esteem.

Our self talk is usually influenced by a false truth that was introduced to us. If you miss a note, your instinct is to say, "Oh I always miss notes," even though it was just the one time. Or you see a friend mess something up and you say, "Oh I hope I don't mess that up," even though you haven't done that before. So, what we allow in our brains, or choose to believe, effects how we respond mentally and manifests itself physically. Stress creates anxiety, which creates tension in the body that causes problems in any activity we attempt, playing music or otherwise. So, while we may want to know what's going on in the world, look at it objectively. Yes, things can be emotional, but don't let it rewrite your personal life. Of course we want to be there for our friends to vent, but don't let their despair migrate into your mind. Filter out anything that doesn't help you grow and leaves you stagnant or regressing. Hear it but don't listen. Stay positive with realistic eyes and you will continue to progress in anything you set your mind to.