How Beliefs Affect Our Lives and the Way We Perceive the World Around Us
Why do we get so stuck on the negative? Why is it so easy to complain? Why are we so quick to judge?
Perhaps it's all in how we perceive the concept. Maybe instead of saying it's so easy to be negative or focus on negativity, we should start saying it's so easy to be thankful and grateful and positive. What if instead of saying negative things, we started changing our beliefs and seeing positive things?
But you're thinking so many people have let you down or failed you and you don't know how you can ever trust again. Here's something to think about – this world has an estimated 7.5 billion people. Based on that figure, what is the percentage of people who you believe have let you down? Let's put that in more relevant terms – what is the population of your town? Based on that figure, what's the percentage now?
Let's just say 100 people have let you down in your lifetime. One hundred people out of the world's population would be a percentage so low my phone's calculator can't even tell me the answer. And if your town's population is only 10,000, that's only 1%. What about the other 99%? Based on averages, only 1 in 100 people have (or will) let you down. You're just going to throw in the towel for that 1%?
It's easier to avoid pain than to risk having it by taking a chance on someone or on a dream. But only because that is the belief.
If we believed that thinking positively was just as easy, that risks are worth taking, that attempting to reach our potential is rewarding, that striving to be better means a better life…if we believed all of those things, our whole lives would change. Our new beliefs would change our perspective on life.
The truth is, there is so much to be thankful for, even when we don't think there is. When we feel like everything is crumbling around us, there is still much to be thankful for. There are still many positive things to focus on. We just need to change our beliefs.
Sometimes we have to fight hard to see the positive things, especially when negativity has been our focus for a long time. But we can change. We can work on this every single day.
In order to be encouraging to other people, we just need something to be grateful for. If we focus on that, rather than all of the negative things happening around us, we'll have a much better outlook on our lives and the world.
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