How I Found the Good in My Life

<p>Whatever your age, it feels unpleasant to look back and only recall challenges, struggles, and troubles. Imagine how the unpleasantness compounds after six decades of lived experience.</p> <p>This likely explains why I rarely looked back at my life. I didn&rsquo;t want to open the Pandora&rsquo;s box of disturbing emotions. When I finally did take a glimpse, about a year ago, I felt sadness, pain, and disappointment.</p> <p>I didn&rsquo;t like how my life had gone&mdash;not that moment, but everything that had occurred before it. It seemed far from the idealistic vision of my young adult years.</p> <p>How did that happen? Life slips by so fast.</p> <p>I had expected my life would come to a crescendo and then level off in peaceful equanimity. Now it felt like ending on a down note.</p> <p>Could I rectify this?</p> <h2>A bad case of negativity bias</h2> <p>I&rsquo;ve had many negative events occur over the course of my life. Who hasn&rsquo;t? But I seem to suffer from an especially strong case of what researchers call &ldquo;<a href="https://positivepsychology.com/3-steps-negativity-bias/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">negativity bias</a>.&rdquo;</p> <p>Negativity bias refers to the brain&rsquo;s tendency to recall and ruminate on negative experiences far more often than positive ones. Scientists believe negativity bias is rooted in the behavior of our ancestors.</p> <p>Our ancestors lived in dangerous environments. They were vulnerable to predators, falling branches, and warring tribes. Thus, the ability to remember and attend to negative stimuli likely played a role in their survival.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/crows-feet/how-i-found-the-good-in-my-life-a8441b2afe6"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>
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