Do you have a hard time listening to or watching the news? If you are like me, you have probably noticed and been troubled by the barrage of negativity and hate that has pounded us in the mainstream media. Police versus citizens, black versus white, Clinton versus Trump, us versus them. Such division and hate.

Let's get really clear about our choice. I don't think there is a neutral choice. If that is true, then we have to come down on the side of love, or of hate. Here's a quick guide so once you choose, you have simple steps to follow that support your choice.

The Hate Choice: Three Simple Steps

Step One: Assume the Worst – Assume everyone has malevolent intent and people are basically evil.

Step Two: Practice Pride – You are right and everybody else is wrong. Take everything personally (it's all about you) and refuse to forgive.

Step Three: Think to Destroy – You are totally justified in being hurt and now it is important to find ways to make others hurt as well. Use your creative power to innovate ways to destroy and tear down.

The Love Choice: Three Simple Steps

Step One: Assume the Best – Since we don't know for sure what others are thinking or feeling (even if they tell us), just assume people are basically good and they intend to do the right thing.

Step Two: Practice Humility – News flash! There is more you don't know than what you do know. It is more important to be open than it is to be right.

Step Three: Think to Create – You're going to use your precious life energy, thoughts, and resources to create something. Choose to create something of value and beauty. Build bridges, mend what's broken, lift what's low.

The love choice is higher ground. Love lifts and heals hurt. As we firmly, but kindly order our mind to do so, our mind will, after some initial resistance, work very hard to support the love choice. The more painful or difficult the situation, the harder it is to choose love, and the more positively life altering it is when we do so. Choose love!

It is easier to act our way into positive thinking than to think our way into positive action

~ Dan Clark