How I Found the Good in My Life

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. This likely explains why I rarely looked back at my life. I didn’t want to open the Pandora’s box of disturbing emotions. When I finally did take a glimpse, about a year ago, I felt sadness, pain, and disappointment. I didn’t like how my life had gone—not that moment, but everything that had occurred before it. It seemed far from the idealistic vision of my young adult years. How did that happen? Life slips by so fast. 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. Could I rectify this? <h2>A bad case of negativity bias</h2> I’ve had many negative events occur over the course of my life. Who hasn’t? But I seem to suffer from an especially strong case of what researchers call “<a href="https://positivepsychology.com/3-steps-negativity-bias/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">negativity bias</a>.” Negativity bias refers to the brain’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. 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. <a href="https://medium.com/crows-feet/how-i-found-the-good-in-my-life-a8441b2afe6">Website</a>