I recently read a Facebook post that asked the question, “Why is negativity so much stickier than positivity?”. The short answer is because we have a brain. Yes, blame it on your brain. After all, the brain’s primary operating principle is “Safety First”. The brain is wired to continually scan the environment in search of potential threats. But here is where it gets interesting. What the brain perceives as threatening can vary, depending on our unique mindset. Our brain can misinterpret something as threat when it really isn’t, or exaggerate the severity of the threat. Here are two small examples: my brain perceives every spider, no matter how tiny, as threat. My brain even views any recipe containing raw onions as threat! You get the picture.In ways small and large, our negativity bias can dominate our focus, steal our energy, and otherwise hinder our effectiveness. To counter the brain’s tendency towards negativity, adopt a practice I call the 3Gs. It is a simple and powerful way for retraining your brain (and enhancing your effectiveness).
First, intentionally focus on something that is good in your life. Then, as you hold that something in mind, let yourself feel glad. Experience how the sensation of glad makes you want to smile, tends to lighten your step, and brightens your eyes. Lastly, holding the good and feeling glad, be grateful. Whereas judging something to be good involves our thinking, and feeling glad brings our emotions into play, being grateful is an attitude, a way of being. With repeated practice of the 3G’s exercise, gratitude becomes more strongly woven into our mindset. Gradually and subtly, threat diminishes and negativity wanes.