Are you needlessly pessimistic about a beautiful world?
2 thought rewiring notes and 1 journal exercise for you.
Hello dear friend
In Mark Manson’s recent video, I came across something known as “The Blue Dot Effect.”
This is based on the research Harvard psychologists carried out a few years ago. It suggests that our mind is conditioned to look for threats and issues, regardless of how safe or comfortable our environment is. Clipping Chains calls it “Pessimism in a Beautiful World.”
This got me thinking, and in today’s newsletter, I wanted to share my perspective on The Blue Dot Effect.
The better things get, the more we nitpick on the smallest of issues.
How often have we taken things for granted, ignoring all our growth and only focusing on what we lack?
How often have we been so obsessed over what we need to have, that we forget to acknowledge how far we’ve come?
The Blue Dot Effect can manifest in multiple ways, depending on the person’s worldview. To me, it manifests as focusing on the gaps, the lack, the missing pieces.
After reading more about it and understanding how my brain is wired, I’ve come to acknowledge this isn’t my fault. Whatever I’ve perceived is based on how my world treated me growing up. And now, I can choose to rewire this setting of my brain.
Today onwards, I pledge to be intentional about looking for the good.
I pledge to count my blessings more, and make the most of the present moment.
CTA for you: Take a few moments to open a journal and write about the last thing that made you super upset. Then, write down three reasons you’re grateful that upsetting thing happened. I know this will require a lot of effort, but it might teach you to look for positives among the negativity.
The size of the problem doesn’t determine our emotional reactions to it.
Has anyone ever called you out for “overreacting?”
Looking at the events that shaped my past, I’ve understood that a lot of the times what’s causing me pain is mostly in my head. I obsess over something that’s yet to come, give myself anxiety sleepless nights.
When the problem actually comes to be, it often surprises me how easily I sailed past it.
This reminds me of Newt Scamander’s quote from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,
“Worrying means suffering twice.”
I know pledging never to worry is a long shot, but at least I can pledge to be more mindful over what I let myself get upset over.
I’m leaving you with another quote by Haruki Murakami,
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
Hope you liked this week’s message. Note that I create this newsletter for you weekly with lots of love. If you’d like to support me, here’s a link to buy me a book.
If you found this letter useful, don’t forget to forward this to a friend or ask them to sign up for my newsletter. It’s free, and they’ll mostly leave with a smile.
That’s all from my end today. I’ll see you again soon. Till then, stay strong. Keep smiling and be awesome.
With love,
Anangsha.