St. Therese on Dealing with Negativity

The following is an entry from The Christophers’ new “Three Minutes a Day” book:

“It is [your critics] that are really the losers, for is anything sweeter than the inward joy that comes from thinking well of others.”

That quote was spoken by St. Thérèse of Lisieux who placed great emphasis on focusing on people’s positive qualities, even people who aggravated her.

It’s an attitude that resonated with Marc Foley, O.C.D., author of the book The Love That Keeps Us Sane. He writes, “What has dwelling on your neighbor’s faults ever brought into your life? Did it bring peace…beauty…or joy? Didn’t it rather…poison your capacity to see goodness and beauty in life? And when we deprive ourselves of seeing goodness and beauty, do we not deprive ourselves of two of the wellsprings of joy?”

“Thérèse knew that when we are critical of others and don’t make the effort to see others in the light of charity, we deprive ourselves of happiness…Love helps keep us sane because it discloses the beauty and goodness of God that permeates this world, for when we see through the eyes of God we are able to see into the life of things.”

Joy has come to me through the Holy One. (Baruch 4:22)

Open my eyes to Your goodness in everyone, Lord.