Motivational Mondays: How do you handle Negativity?

Today I reminded myself to stop doing this, hanging on to negativity. It's something that I do without realizing it. I'm a positive person 80% of the time, however, my habit of hanging on to negative "stuff" hinders me. Believe me, I'm trying, and so I am re-learning how not to let unimportant 'stuff' bother me. To be frank (honest), there are some things I don't let bother me in the slightest, I am at the point in my life when "Frankly my dear, I just don't give a damn".  For the most part, I "march to the beat of my own drum".  But I do have responsibilities.  And there are times when those take precedence over my own personal views.

I love to read Iyanla Vansant's writings. I love her show, unfortunately I don't have OWN TV anymore and so I only follow her FB page (& Twitter) and I love to read her words of  "wisdom".  Today she wrote:

Iyanla VanzantWhy do we hold onto negativity? For some reason, we believe that others are affected by our experience of remaining upset, hurt or angry. Holding on to pain, anger, guilt or shame is the glue that binds us to the situation we want to escape.

                                                                    Iyanla on Facebook

It is hard not to hold on to the negativity that others spew at you. People are going to have their own opinions no matter what you think.  They don't care if what they say hurts you or not.  They just feel what they do, and think what they do because they feel they "have a right to".  What someone thinks and say, and even does, will matter to us if it affects us personally.  It will bother us that this one person thinks and feels the way they do about you.  But as Iyanla said "Hanging on to the pain, anger, guilt or shame is the glue that binds us to the situation we want to escape."  

For this very reason we must learn to let go. Yes, just LET GO.  Set your mind free, verbally do it if you must, SAY IT OUT LOUD.  Repeat it to yourself over and over again, until it sinks in....."I must learn to let go".  "I must let go of the negativity".  Even if you're out in public and the person walking close to you thinks you're losing it because you're talking to yourself, that's OK, just don't respond to whatever it is you're telling yourself, and you're good!lol!  We're not having a one-man/woman conversation here, just thinking out loud!

I'll keep on trying to just LET GO, and if this is a problem you have, I hope you will too.  Is this something that happens to you often, do you hang on to negativity?  If so, how do you stop, and what do you do to help yourself when faced with anyone who spews hate and anger?  I would love to hear your thoughts.