- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
What have you been thinking about today?
Most of us rarely stop to consider that question. Yet research suggests the average person has more than 6,000 thoughts per day. That’s thousands of mental messages running through our minds from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep. And most of these thoughts are repetitive.
Some estimates suggest up to 75% of our thoughts repeat themselves day after day, and unfortunately, many of those thoughts are negative. Psychologists refer to this pattern as negativity bias…the brain’s tendency to focus more on problems, threats, and mistakes than on positive experiences.
Even more surprising, most of these thoughts run on autopilot. We’re often unaware of how they shape what we think, say, and do, and we rarely pause to question whether the stories we’re telling ourselves are accurate or helpful.
In the years after the September 11 attacks, the phrase “If you see something, say something” became a national campaign encouraging people to report suspicious activity and help keep communities safe. The intention was good and the idea was extremely successful. In 2002, there were 814 reports of potential problems in New York. In 2006, that number grew to 37,614.
But there was also an unintended psychological side effect. When our attention is constantly directed toward what might be wrong, our brain becomes better at finding problems and potential threats everywhere.
Our mind begins scanning the environment for what might be wrong, who might be dangerous, or what adversity is coming next. See something say something turned into see something fear something.
In an earlier article, I suggested flipping the phrase in a more positive direction: If you see something positive, say something positive. (Click Here to read that article)
Because the truth is, our attention works like a spotlight. What we train our brain to notice; it begins to see everywhere.
When negative thoughts repeat all day long, it’s as if our brain is broadcasting its own version of a negative news station. We are constantly scanning for problems, replaying worries, and highlighting what might go wrong.
And when we listen to that station long enough, those negative stories about ourselves and about the people around us, begin to feel true, even when they are incomplete or inaccurate.
If we don’t believe everything we hear on the news, we shouldn’t believe everything we hear in our own head either.
Which is why learning to question our thoughts is essential to improving the quality of our health and bring out the best in everyone around us.
Challenge Our Thoughts This Week
For many years I’ve spoken to Rotary clubs. Every meeting begins the same way, by reciting The Rotary Four Way Test, created in 1932 by Herbert J. Taylor.
It’s a simple guide for the things we think, say, or do.
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
This week let’s try applying the same test to our thoughts. We may discover that many thoughts fail the test.
The goal is not to eliminate negative thoughts, that’s impossible, just challenge them. Put them through the 4-way test. Because the moment we stop believing every negative thought we think, we gain something powerful: The ability to create a better thought.
Let's Get Better Together,
Bill Durkin, Founder
One Positive Place
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