NOVEMBER 9 — There are too many tragic things these days. Political commotion and economic pressure have had a heavy toll on many Malaysians. Simply put, negative energy is shrouding the entire society.
When too much of negative energy fills our air, negative sentiment will be spawned, turning many into pessimists. But in the midst of all these negativities, there is some "positive energy" slowly emerging from a hidden corner, resisting the spread of the negative energy.
Our attitude will affect the way we look at things. The same thing, when viewed from a positive or a negative attitude, will produce altogether different effects.
The government has axed the subsidies for most cooking oils, sending their prices skyrocketing. The selling price of 5kg cooking oil has soared by a whopping 60%! In the eyes of people choked in the negative energy, this will mean a rapid rise in cost of living very soon, and that the belt has to be tightened further.
But, some of our politicians obviously do not see things in such a negative light.
When we see the plight of rising cooking oil prices, these people can see past the illusory surface and the restrictive negative emotions into the something deeper and positive.
To look at things from a more positive perspective, increasing the cooking oil prices is a measure beneficial to the health of Malaysians. Imagine Malaysians love deep fried foods and their veins are clogged by fat and cholesterol deposits, higher cooking oil prices offer a unique opportunity to force Malaysians to reflect on their unhealthy lifestyle, reversing their "oil-rich" dietary preference for healthier cooking.
This is an instance of positive energy versus negative energy.
When negative energy is prevailing, we indeed need some positive energy to neutralize the damaging effects, but this has to be done in moderation, as overdoing it is mere absurdity.
If positive energy is too powerful that everyone blindly pursues the so-called "positive attitude" in interpreting things, then the reality will get distorted and become absurd.
Under overwhelming positive energy, petrol price hike is most definitely a good thing, because it will force people to modify the way they move around. They may look to public transportation, cycling or car pooling, cutting back exhaust emission for a better environment for all. Going forward, the higher the fuel prices, the better it is, because people will start to see the need to protect our planet.
Starting a war is also not much a cause for concern. After all, wars can bring the people of a nation together in patriotism terms, while post-war reconstruction will stimulate economic development.
Getting retrenched is also something one should feel grateful for, otherwise how are we going to get that rare chance to reconsider our future plans in life? Being discriminated is not that bad after all, as this will reawaken the latent fighting spirit to propel us forward.
The same goes for a road accident, as we can claim our insurance and replace the old machine with something new and better perhaps.
If some day a politician loses in an election, we should congratulate him in an encouraging manner: At least you can shed all your burdens now and savour the little moments in life!
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
