Did you know that when you go online you are 49% more likely to see something negative than you are to see something positive? Or that 90% of all news media is negative? This is in large part because of the sad truth that negative or sensationalized stories do better than positive ones.
Everyday we are fed the worst news in the world right into the palms of our hands.
Does all of this negativity have an effect on you?
What about the stress of your everyday life?
The way we view the world around us is often times impacted by the things we see and experience. There is good news though, the way we think can also impact the way we see the world.
So then, what kind of a thinker are you?
Pessimist (noun):a person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.
Do you see the negative and still choose to believe in the positive in your own life? Or do you let the negativity of the world around you turn you into a pessimist?
The truth of the matter is that negative thinking is a dead end thought process with long term consequences. In your career, negative thinking will strain your relationships, cloud your judgement, and stunt your upward movement and growth. And for your health, it can be even worse.
A study done by researchers at Kings College London found a link between prolonged negative thinking and the development of Alzheimers. This link to the disease is credited to the way that negative thinking diminishes your brains ability to think, reason, and even form memories. This concept doesn’t only go for negative thinking, but cynical thinking as well.
A positive outlook, on the other hand, is an advantage in an overly negative world.
To think positively as a leader is to make your mark as a true difference maker. To think positively as a parent is to set an example for your children to believe that they can make a difference too. And there are benefits to thinking this way for your health too.
Those who think positively have been found to not only live longer, but live better lives as well. Positive thinkers experience lower levels of stress and depression and even a strengthened immune system.
In next weeks blog we will dive deeper into what it means to be a positive thinker but for now I want you to think on the effects of positive verses negative thinking and ask yourself where you fall. The age old question, a glass is placed before you, the water line reaches the middle of it….is it half full or half empty? And are you allowing the way you see the glass to influence the way you’re living?
If it is, one of the best things about life is that it’s never too late to change the way you think.
For now though…
Lead well,
