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10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS THINK ABOUT IT Build your positivity muscle MOHAMMED AL MUSTAPHA Groundcover contributor I want to start this article by reminding you, the reader, that you are a resilient being capable of extraordinary feats which you can choose to exhibit at any time. This superb sense of resilience, which you embody, can at times be dulled by the many different circumstances in life, but it never diminishes. It will always be there for you in your time of need and can be generously extended to assist others around you as well. We human beings are very unique and peculiar creatures. I like to think of us as unique individual collections of memories. The way we interpret those memories can be positive or negative. Unfortunately, for many of us, the deficit in balance of bad versus good memories leads us to regress into a negative pattern of thinking. This negative digression cycle is very hard to break and can so consume a human being that they can lose sight of the beauty of who they are and what they have. They can become so overwhelmed that they completely lose track of the goodness within and become self-destructive through negative habits such as substance abuse and dependence, alcoholism or a host of the many negative coping mechanisms that we humans can detrimentally execute. Overcoming past traumas is not an easy thing. To deal with the intrusive and excessively negative thoughts that barrage my mind, I have learned a potentially helpful new trick that I want to share with you. You see, just like you, I have my fair share of negative and horrid past traumas and experiences. When these obtrusive negative thoughts started inundating my mind and obstructing my thinking, I didn't know how to deal with them, and they would cycle through my head in such a fashion that I didn't know how to stop them. I would seek substances that would alter my mind in the hope of easing it, but they would only compound and amplify the problem. The regression was so severe that I would lose track of whatever I was occupied with at the time and would end up making completely irrational decisions that would devastate my self-development progress. Being the hard-headed individual I am, I abhorred seeking mental health assistance, whether due to cultural stigma or just plain arrogance and hardheadedness. To deal with the insistent and obsessive negative thought cycle of self-victimization, and constantly asking myself the same questions like "why did this happen to me?" or "why is my life this way?" or "why did I have to go through this?" I just faced my mind and embraced the thoughts. By embracing my traumas and recognizing them as part of my being, my personality, and my character, I was able to overcome them. Whenever I would get negative thoughts of previous trauma, instead of allowing my mind to wander with the question of "why me" and "why so", I reminded myself that I am here, now, and alive. What was supposed to hurt me and destabilize me, I have endured and survived. What was supposed to make me weaker and destroy me has only made me stronger, has reinforced my resolve to be a better human, to not give in to evilness, to continuously strive to be a better, stronger person. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and embracing a victimized mindset, I reverse it. I am a survivor. I am stronger today than I was when whatever traumatic event happened. By constantly reminding myself that this is who I am today, I am in constant self-development and improvement of myself, my body, my mind, my family, my community and humanity in general. By embracing the trauma and realizing that it has happened, it is in the past, and it's a part of me, it has only made me stronger. I am free from see POSITIVITY next page  JUNE 16, 2023 Breaking the ice — doubts, faith, opportunity KEVIN ALLGOOD Groundcover contributor Some may say Groundcover is a scam; some of its writers at times may think their writing is subpar, but it's a way to make money writing and selling papers. Some may feel it's not their talent and think that they may never make it. The thing is, I'm a Christian, virgin, schizophrenic myself trying to navigate the spiritual world of the Most High God and Satan Our Adversary. I know not the mental health nor the total economic stance of all involved in Groundcover, therefore can only speak on my own behalf. I know many are hurting in today's economy and we could all seem to get in the Christmas spirit out of the season of goodwill and love for others. Saint Nikolas was a real man that would buy toys for the poor kids and was beloved for it. That Irishman I believe became Saint Nick, our Santa Claus. Now, if Santa was a real person, a Christian, then how could we get into His Spirit, His Holy Spirit — by selflessly loving others? We could also humbly pray that God would circumcise our hearts and His Holy Spirit would come into Our Temple that is our body. So no parent has to lie about Santa coming and leaving gifts cause if Dad is in His Holy Spirit, he truly is Saint Nick. When friends tell kids that Santa is not real and they finally believe it, they therefore subconsciously think the whole Jesus thing is a lie. Was Jesus real? Is his birthday just a scam to make money? I ask kids today what Christmas is about and many would think Santa gives gifts and there are elves and reindeer. Many kids nowadays do not even know that it is the day agreed on to celebrate the birthday of Christ and the gift of salvation. Looking at Groundcover’s 2023 Exceptional Community Member Edition, the photo of Juan Castro dressed as Santa surrounded by three beautiful women looks like an embarrassing amount of riches. Many think schizophrenic and think crazy; some may think of Rob Thomas’s “Unwell” (a favorite song of mine). But I see it not as some doctors do, as the subconscious talking to the conscious, but as an evil demon, and that sometimes you forget people are around and you get mad at it and yell or get teary-eyed and cry. Sometimes you get so stressed you forget to take a bath or brush your teeth. With Groundcover, I see an opportunity that God has put before me, and even if I don't profit from it, hopefully others will. Like a rock thrown into a pond, the ripples are what counts. I could foresee a doctor across the street from the State movie theater, having a coffee at Starbucks, (BTW is it legal in America to want to unionize? How could anyone get fired for wanting to help their coworkers to have better work conditions?) reading my story, keeping up on my entries, who might understand something, for me to have a breakthrough all because of Groundcover. In my faithwalk, it’s been lonely and I have been abused by Satan all my life and if it's God doing it, "love me less" (joking, Archangel Gabriel, I'm joking). My heart’s desire one day is to have a loving family, for me to be a family man. I have struggled with sexual sin thought across all areas on a spectrum, but trust I am a born again virgin of two decades. Like going to the gym, self-talk trying to stand up to dangerous sin thoughts is a must to get stronger. I realized that hiding from the Truth only makes you live in fear and to house Fear in My Temple was a horrible feeling I desired freedom from. The internet seems to have a skill - leading you into mental sin and seemingly encouraging you to lie from the very sin it sold you. From my experience, it seems some demons have something in your temple to physically hold on to when we lie and are afraid. The first step to freedom is to be willing to admit you fall short of the glory of God. And for those sins that test your honesty, confess it, if need be openly, and therefore do not fear the past, for the Bible says to confess your sins to one another and God is just to take away all unrighteousness from you. To beat fear is to be brave so many times that fear is tired and afraid of you so it doesn't even bother any more. To be on Social Security with free time, maybe Groundcover and I may be a good marriage after long courting seasons. If all things work for the good of those who love God and are called for His purpose, then hopefully He has a purpose for me at Groundcover! It's maybe not about winning a Pulitzer Prize, but to find rich loving relationships, and maybe even about others in the community hearing about a personal story and maybe changing their life. From a long lost friend to a daughter never known, a Father, an admirer, to a mentor, you never know what treasure you can get. Well this piece has more about the birth of Jesus then myself, but now I think maybe it’s about my birth at Groundcover and it’s all sound. really

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