Why Is It So Hard to Stay Positive?

Most of us naturally are attracted to positive people, just as most of us are repelled by negative people.  It's our human inclination to move towards what feels good and flee from what feels unpleasant.  Unfortunately, we are hard-wired, in our brains, in our DNA, to go to the negative, or the dark side as I like to call it.  Our ancient ancestors survived, literally, survived not getting killed by a predator by anticipating bad things and being ready to flee, fight or bite.  Shift to now and notice that pathway in the brain is well trampled.  When one thing goes wrong, we quickly expect another thing to go wrong.  Our world view is then affirmed--bad things are always happening, and then we stay in that negative, cortisol-filled and adrenalin-fueled place.

The brain work of today is different.  We do not need to anticipate a predator coming to eat us.  We do not benefit from activating the flight/fight/bite response in our bodies.  It doesn't make us happy or healthy.  Instead, we benefit from intentionally fixating our mind on the positive.  We feel better when we do, and we become happier because we don't perceive the world as a threat.  Happier means healthier.  Yes, this is true, happier people who focus on being positive instead of dwelling on being negative are healthier. 

There are so many ways to practice being more positive.  One is to notice nature.  Nature makes us feel better because it is our native habitat.  When we notice colors, smells, sights, sounds, textures in the sky, in fields, in gardens, we feel connected to something bigger than ourselves.  When we take time to slow down and not anticipate a problem, we can be present in the moment and reduce stress.  Whew--no fleeing, fighting or biting.  Instead, we activate the "rest and digest" response in the body.
Even focusing on taking a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the nose or mouth can ground us to the moment, flip that rest/digest switch and help us feel better and more hopeful--which is positive.

Does this mean that bad things aren't happening?  No.  Bad things are happening.  Tragic things might even be happening.  But, so are good things.  All of them--all the time--at the same time.

This week, focus your mind on what you want more of, on the goodness, the light, the happiness and see what happens.  It just might make you very modern, very current, very much in the present and of course, happier and healthier.