Question: Is it true that nothing can negatively affect us if we don't allow it?

Answer: To some extent, yes. Energetically, yes. Physically in this world, it’s a bit more complicated. In theory, yes, and it is possible for everyone, but it is harder to achieve due to the information we have been taught. For example, pain, death, etc. These are not naturally bad things, but we have universally accepted them as bad.

For instance, the death of a loved one is neutral, but as humans, we feel that we must suffer because of it. As if we should not be happy because something “bad” happened to us. There is a certain amount of masochism involved. The same applies to other matters. Nothing is explicitly bad, but we fear feeling good when those around us do not.

If a friend loses their job and we know that they hated it, we cannot be happy for them because we feel it would be rude. And even they are not happy about the dismissal. If they were, it would also give us permission to be happy for them. The problem is that when something "socially bad" happens, we don't know what to think, so we leave it to others. We follow instructions. When we give ourselves permission not to feel bad, then everything is good. Even what others think is not. Just like sadness and happiness, both are just emotions.

When we allow ourselves to accept them, we can manage how we want to feel them—whether as happiness or sadness.