“…[W]e create most of our unhappiness through our negative thoughts. … [W]e are all the time creating problems that do not exist.” (from Super Consciousness: The Quest for Peak Experience, by Colin Wilson)
The above quote sums up the root of the problem for so many people in this world, or maybe particularly in our society. And, as Wilson mentions in this book as well, part of the problem is boredom, because boredom can inspire the mind to run rampant along negative pathways in an unfocused sort of low-level functioning, way below its potential. When it’s pushed due to difficult external circumstances, then the mind’s sense of aliveness and engagement with the world comes to the forefront, and pithy day-to-day negative thoughts get dropped like the sh#$ they really are.
In fact, I’d venture to say that the above lies at the core of many cases of depression—that people have lost the ability to control and manage their own minds, and have (usually subconsciously) engrained negative thought patterns as the default mode. With years of practice, this becomes its own trap, as the brain hardwires this state of being, making it take years of concerted effort to unravel and reprogram—if a person can succeed at all. Discipline; stamina; courage; acceptance of regressive moments, episodes, or days; a willingness to reorder one’s life’s circumstances to reflect one’s emerging state of positivity—these are just some of the elements that are required in order to fully embrace a more positive outlook and to relinquish the “negativity crutch” that freezes a person in place, not allowing them to fully enjoy living because of their own internal tormentor—the self-created, self-imposed voices of pessimism and disapproval that haunt their psyches constantly.
People who practice consuming, whole-being activities like, say, rock climbing, have discovered a way to erase or eradicate these inner demons, at least momentarily or for brilliant periods of time, while they engage in their totally absorbing activity. Musicians, painters, other athletes who engage in coordinated and complex sports, and even manual laborers who have tasks that aren’t repetitive but require concentration—these people, too, experience this “escape from reality” regularly, as it’s so often described. It could also be described as an escape from the internal negative chatter. This is why these activities become so attractive. They allow us to fully be present and alive without judgment (from inside) or distraction by petty unconstructive thoughts.
To learn to take this mindset out of these practices and into one’s being in all areas of living, then, is the challenge—to develop enough discipline and fortitude to seize the reins of one’s powerful internal computer and rewire it to be vital and engaged with the world in a positive fashion every single moment of every day. Of course, such a state of being is most likely impossible in any permanent sense, but the more a person cultivates it and strives towards it, the less likely it is that that person will succumb to the perversely seductive lure of lazy backsliding into the bizarrely soothing negative thought patterns. These patterns can so easily freeze a person in place, not allowing them to develop their potential further, or even worse, pushing them away from it more and more.
To start on the path to self-created positivity and transformation of the mind into a place of nourishment, support, and belief in oneself, pay attention to negative thoughts as they arise, and do not allow them to take hold. Learn to separate yourself from them, and to label them as negative. Know when you’re tired or feeling low energy, and know that these are the moments of weakness when negativity can really try to penetrate into your inner state of being. Reject these thoughts as unproductive and unhelpful, and look always for the positive in every situation.
Every event in life has the potential to teach you something, even the most heart-wrenching or horrific, if you care to look for it. It’s all about perspective. Yes, life will hand you some awful developments, but it’s up to you what you do with them. You can become an alchemist and learn to transform them into something productive—or choose to wallow in your own mire of woes. And most of the negative thought patterns and pathways that people choose to let themselves run along could be easily let go of or transformed into something more useful, if only those people wouldn’t be so lazy and self indulgent—if they had a life-threatening situation plopped into their laps to deal with, you can bet they wouldn’t be wasting their time worrying about whatever mundane notions they’re allowing to consume their inner beings.
Start today. Ask yourself, “Will I care about this in a year? In five years?” Most of the time, for most negative items people think about, the answer will be a resounding no. If the answer is yes, then it’s a good time to spend some time trying to find a positive way to look at the situation, and, if it can’t be seen as positive, to at the very least accept it as being unchangeable (if it is), and just move on, instead of letting the brain chatter away and feed the negative cycle. If nothing can be done, let it go. Part of the discipline is learning to let go, to force the brain to stop the cycle and to dwell in the present, working with what you can in the current moment. Cultivate the sense of optimism, focus, and direction that you have when you engage in those consuming activities—climbing, cooking, music, whatever—in everyday life, and you’ll soon find that this mindset becomes easier and easier to hang onto and dwell in, no matter what you’re doing in this moment.

