How to See The Good

There are many wonderful benefits in searching for the good in your everyday life. Not only does it leave you with a greater sense of peace, it also aids in keeping you in the present moment. With today’s hectic fast-paced world, that’s one of our greatest challenges. It’s been my experience that people who exercise the ability to see the best in situations tend to be more confident, joyful and they possess an energy that draws others to them. 

However, there is a force working against us at all times in living a more positive life; it’s called the ‘negativity bias.’ In researching this term, I found: “The technical definition of the negativity bias is the phenomena by which humans give more psychological weight to bad experiences than a good ones. In fact, some researchers assert that negative emotions have an impact close to 3x stronger than positive emotions.” This means if you are at an event and someone says something nasty to you and an hour later you leave and have an experience that’s wonderful, you are more likely to have a lasting impression from the nasty comment.

But there is hope. If you choose to, you can set your intention to live a life where you make it a priority to see the good. A few years ago, I attended a Tony Robbins seminar. He spoke of living the best life possible. He enthusiastically said, “Please take a look around the room and notice anything that’s green, find the green, find the green! After about five seconds he suggested the front row close their eyes and asked, “If I were to call on you (tapping on the shoulder of a woman close to him) would you be able to tell me what’s red and not green?”

The gal smiled and responded, “No.”

Tony continued, “Right, because you will only see what you are looking for and focused on. It’s the same with life events; if you only search for the negative or expect to be disappointed you’ll certainly find it.”

Having a positive life experience doesn’t mean you shut down your emotions when something difficult comes up or you turn a blind eye to someone in need. However, it does mean that you stay with yourself in the present moment, allow others to do what’s best for them and daily chose to be a person who learns and loves as you travel through life. Making this adjustment in your outlook literally helps your body at a cellular level and leaves your mind feeling lighter. And I promise over time it gets easier.

- Heidi Neuss

“A GREAT ATTITUDE

becomes a great mood.

A great mood becomes a great day.

A great day becomes a great year.

A great year becomes a great life.”

-Author Unknown