I don’t really want to talk about “cancel culture.” My hope is that any culture or subculture in its noose will realize it’s a bad plan before they hang themselves with it. I do feel like now is a good time to take advantage of the fact that the word “cancel” is already in so many people’s mouths.
I’m not really sure where to begin since there are a number of reasons to modify how we’ve been using the “cancel” concept. The first reason that comes to mind is that when you cancel something, you’re limiting your own experience. The opposite of cancelling something is embracing it, so let me be abundantly clear right from the start, I’m not suggesting that in lieu of cancelling a thing, one should embrace it, after all, you more than likely had a well thought out, rational reason as well as well researched, unbiased evidence before you went about cancelling it in the first place, right?
It’s like with people. You can learn from every single person you meet, I’ve always said that if you aren’t, you aren’t paying attention. It might be they are teaching you a way to be, it might be they are teaching you how to never be, but you can learn if you make the choice to. That being said, the plan I propose is to take cancel culture, which righteously goes about calling out the imperfections of others, publicly shaming them and forcing them into insincere and somewhat bitter public apologies, and turn it around. The biggest problem I’ve seen with the way cancel is currently being used is that it doesn’t work. It’s out of balance and it’s causing people caught up in the idea to be out of balance as well. It’s assumptive, divisive and most of all, restrictive to growth.
I say we flip the script, you say, how? Start with considering manifestation, the law of attraction, things people are familiar with. In the simplest of terms, it’s about the power of positive thought. It takes recognizing how much power our thoughts have, and if thoughts have that much power, imagine what spoken words, words spoken with intent, can do. I have heard people acknowledge this to be true, more and more people all the time, from all walks of life and from a wide and varied array of differing religio-spiritual backgrounds, all have acknowledged the law of attraction in some form or another. What that has to do with canceling is that you use the word with intent to cancel your own negativity rather than making a focus of the negativity of others, then live by example. You manifest with your intent an entirely different and more productive way of thinking.
Here’s a way to start. First, waste no time in accepting the fact that you aren’t perfect either. Then, start using cancel on yourself. Whenever you hear yourself saying something like, “I am sick and tired of…” Catch yourself and say the word, “Cancel” or “Cancel that.” Any negative self talk at all, even if it’s only in your head, cancel it. At first it’ll seem daunting, most folks are surprised at how often they say negative things.
The first time I did it, I remember quite clearly that after having been at it for awhile, I realized one day that I hadn’t said it in a really long time. Of course my first thought was that I was forgetting, that I was slacking. Then I thought about it more and tried to remember the last time I used negative self-talk. I was blown away to discover that I hadn’t in so long I couldn’t remember the last time I had. It wasn’t that I was forgetting to say the word, it was that I no longer needed to because I wasn’t in the habit of berating myself anymore.
With one word, I had re-trained my brain to not say the negative thing. I had even inadvertently taken it to the next level. Somewhere in the process I had started another new habit, replacing the negative comment with something positive. Instead of simply cancelling a comment such as, “This project is too much, I’ll never finish it!” I’d cancel and then add something like, “This project is a task I’ll be proud to finish, knowing I’ve done my best” or, “I am efficient and this is going to be easy.” Even something like, “I love a challenge” is more satisfying than, “I suck.” Without further explanation I’m quite certain you get not just the point, but its potential.
This concept for self improvement can be expanded upon and used to help one see the world with new eyes. How it manifests for you is a choice. A balanced approach is recommended as extremists wear blinders preventing them from looking within, often so that blame can be assigned elsewhere. With the blinders off you’ll be forced to take a look at yourself as well which opens the door to your own evolution and purpose. Remember, you are an example, you are a force of nature, you are whatever you choose to be. Choose to be better. Choose to be great.
