So my day today was not an easy one, but during a moment of reflection today, I started thinking about my blog post from yesterday, in which I started out with the line, “Ever have one of those days?”
Why is it that that phrase is automatically negative? Why is it that when someone asks you that question, your mind races toward the worst day you’ve ever had? Why can’t we ever have “one of those happy, awesome, fantastic days”? Why is it so ingrained in us to thing negatively?
Researchers have found that 80% of our daily thoughts are negative. That’s about 45,000 negative thoughts per day. These are known as Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) because most of these thoughts happen without us fully being aware of them. Our brains also process negative thoughts differently than positive ones; negative feelings tend to involve more thought processing. Studies have also shown that psychologically speaking, most people view negative people as being smarter.
So, just why are we so prone to think about the negative? Is it human nature or something we’ve been conditioned to do over time thanks to society? Many researchers believe that this Negativity Bias comes from our evolution. They believe we tend to think pessimistically because it ensures our survival; the more scared we are to do things, the less likely we are to get hurt.
Though, I venture to argue the opposite. The more scared we are to do things, the less likely we are to take chances and grow and succeed. Nothing is accomplished by sitting around worrying all of the time about things that have not happened but could possibly happen. Whether you believe your future is set or not, you must agree that the only time we can actually work in is now—the past is behind us and our future has not happened—it is only our present that is available. And if we spend our present focusing on the negative, we will never get anywhere.
I challenge you to go out and change this. Look for the positive in every single situation that comes your way this week. No matter what it is you are facing, there is something positive there. You may have to dig for it, but it is there.
Now go out and have “one of those days.” Make it amazing and awesome and one-of-a-kind. Make it one of those unforgettably, unbelievably incredible days!
Live Life,
Bert Oliva