It’s Easy to Be Negative

Added June 4th, 2009

By Tom Reilly, author of “Crush Price Objections”

It requires no effort since negativism is a passive emotion. Just look around and you will find something to be negative about. Being positive requires effort; it is an active emotion. It’s hard work being positive some days. Sometimes, you have to look long and hard to find good news since the media is heavily invested in bad news.

Negativism expects nothing to change. Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed. When things go badly, “I told you so.” When things go well, “Just wait, the other shoe will drop.” For those who choose to be negative, they can wake up every morning and find something to gripe about because the world and its inhabitants are not perfect.

As part of our survival instinct, humans are hard-wired to detect danger, and research shows memories for negative events last longer than good memories. The cynics would use this information to argue that it is in our nature to be negative. I subscribe to the other belief: It is in our nature to be positive.

Life itself is the expression of optimism. From the moment we are conceived, we are growing, evolving and emerging organisms. It is our destiny to develop the raw material we brought into this world. We are born with potential. We make a choice how positively or negatively we will pursue this. Negativism stifles this pursuit. Being positive is the path and the outcome of chasing our potential. And it is hard work.

Good Economic News

This new feature will share with you some of the latest good economic news–share with others.

1. The Institute for Supply Management reported yesterday that new factory orders increased in April for the first time since November, 2007.
2. The Commerce Department reported that construction spending rose by .8% in April, the second straight monthly gain and biggest jump since last August.
3. After yesterday’s close, the stock market is up 33% since the lows in March, 2009. You know why this is important.

Good news, like love and hope, is better when you share it.

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