The world is full of negativity right now.

Wars are raging, politics are filling up the news every single day, mass shootings are happening more and more often, and when I open Facebook on any given day, hate fills my news feed.

With this level of negativity sweeping the world right now, it’s nearly impossible to not let it affect you.

And it’s been affecting me more than anyone.

I’m a lover. I love showing people affection. I love getting people gifts and showing that they truly matter to me. I love smiling at people to make their day. I love telling corny jokes to make someone laugh when they’re having a bad day.

This is something I love.

So when every part of my life is full of negativity, it drags me down. And it sucks the joy out of things that I usually enjoy doing. The worst part about this is that I couldn’t even notice it in myself. It took a mentor in my life to take me on a walk and tell me that because of the negativity, I was lacking joy.

I’m in my second year of a music education degree. I am also being classically trained as a coloratura soprano. But no matter if you’re vocal or instrumental, musicians, in general, face a ton of negativity.

“Oh, you squeaked on that high note.”

“Oh, your F was very flat.”

“Your vowels are just crap.”

“Where is your breath support, that sounds terrible.”

It can sometimes take its toll on you. I know I speak for a lot of musicians when I say that sometimes we just want to give up; take up something easier.

But what I’ve learned recently that it’s not the comment or the criticism that pulls you down. It’s your negative thoughts about it! Criticism from a teacher or fellow student is used to help you grow. 9 times out of 10 the person telling you wants to see you be the best version of yourself. They don’t want you to fail!

One of my favorite things to say on a daily basis (sometimes 8,000 times) is “positivity.” I yell it out when it applies, for example, in choir or during class. Because even though we need the criticism to help us grow, we need positive reinforcement to know that what we are doing is completely okay and that we’re headed in the right direction.

The power of positivity is such a powerful thing. Even when the world is filled to the brim with negativity, if we’re positive, we are light shining in the darkest of tunnels. In any situation, the power of positivity can get you through. And that’s proven.

“Don’t focus on the negative things; focus on the positive things and you will flourish.” -Alek Wek