“Negativity is cannibalistic. The more you feed it, the bigger and stronger it grows.” ~ Bobby Darnell

We all know the story of “The Three Little Pigs.” One builds a house of straw, one builds a house of sticks, and one builds a house of bricks. The Big Bad Wolf comes along to the house of straw, asks to come in, and when the pig refuses the wolf huffs, and he puffs, and he blows the house down. The pig then runs off to the house of the second pig which the wolf also blows down. Only when the first two pigs get to the home of the third pig with the brick house are they safe from the wolf. When the wolf can’t blow down the brick house he attempts to climb in through the chimney and falls into a boiling pot becoming wolf stew.

This fable easily translates to the negativity in our lives. The Big Bad Wolf being negativity, the houses are our minds/emotions and their defenses to said negativity, and the pigs are all of us.

The Big Bad Wolf comes in many different forms: toxic relationships, lack of support, our own anxieties, negative expectations, self doubt, and surroundings. The wolf feeds off of our inability to cope with the different negativity in our lives. As negativity affects us the wolf becomes stronger and breeds more negativity. And just because we resist one negativity doesn’t mean that it won’t come in other forms (climbing through the chimney).

Each one of us has a different type of house in terms of our ability to cope with the negativity in our lives. Those with “straw houses” tend to be overly sensitive and are easily affected by all types of negativity. Those with “stick houses” are able to resist certain types of negativity, or can withstand all negativity until they reach a breaking point. Those with a “brick house” are mentally and emotionally strong, those who can withstand a world of negativity.

If society was entirely of pigs with straw houses it wouldn’t take much for negativity to feed and strengthen. But when we surround ourselves with others who have brick houses we have safe havens of positive influences to counteract the negative.

So, take a look at your own life.

What type of “house” do you have?

What types of “houses” are in your support group?

If you are surrounded by straw and sticks, negativity will blow through like a hurricane/tornado/wild fire and destroy everything in it’s path. If you are the one with a “brick house” take the time to shelter those who may be feeling negativity washing over them. Give them the advice they need to “build their own house of bricks” because you never know when there will be an earthquake that destroys your house.

We are all affected by negativity differently but it’s important that we don’t let it cannibalize and grow stronger.

Be Good. Do Good.

Rob