I’M GOING THROUGH CHANGES
For anyone deciding to make an Intentional Positive Life Change I just want to wish you the Best of Luck! whether your Transitioning from one Career to another, Going back to school, starting a Gym Membership or even Getting a Divorce… It Starts with the simple thoughts of, “Is This It?”- “I Want more out of Life”- ” Can I Get More?”- or “I Hate this Job!”
Once you start thinking thoughts like that, it’s only a matter of time before the Thoughts of doubt set in… Thoughts like, “I can’t leave and just start over”- ” I can’t take that chance”- ” What if it’s not what I thought?” – or “This Is All I Know!”
Then starts the Search… “What do I want to do now?”- “What am I looking for?”- “Where Would I enjoy working?”- or “Should I just stay?”
All this occurs before you ever physically take any Action… You literally run a Mental Marathon trying to decide what you actually want to do.
And pretty soon you start to talk yourself out of This Vision you had, the Vision of Change and Progress!
If all this sounds Familiar, well My Friend, Welcome to The Club! This is exactly what I have gone through on more than one occasion, and were not alone…
A WELL THOUGHT OUT STATISTIC
According to several Neurological studies conducted the average Human thinks 6,000 thoughts (credit. Dr. Poppenk- Queens University) to 60,000 thoughts EACH DAY! (credit: Dr. Fred Luskin- Stanford University)…
Stay With Me Here…
And whether you think less thoughts throughout your day or have a Mind that races a million miles an hour, here are some consistent numbers that are True for all of us… 80% of all Thoughts we have in one day are Negative… And 95% of our thoughts are repetitive…
Let that Sink in for a second…
That means, for most of us, as we go through our day to day routine our minds are constantly in a state of Repetitive Negativity. Even when we are outwardly Positive or Make a Positive Decision, like joining a Gym or furthering our Education, We constantly fill our mind with What If’s, I Can’t, I Dont’s or I Wont’s… Just like at the beginning of this post.
So Why? Why do we tend to Let our Negative thoughts run wild in our heads while Taming and tempering our Positive ones?
INTRODUCTION TO NEGATIVITY BIAS
Well, Since the Dawn of Man the Mental Negativity has been engrained in us. Even way back When the Caveman was preparing for the First Hunt, the Positive thoughts of Successfully Hunting down their next meal and fulfilling their Hunger was Powerful and Inspiring. It filled them with the Desire to leave their cave and Accomplish the Hunt! The Positivity was Free flowing, until The Hunt actually begins.
As the Caveman saw his peers being killed or eaten alive by their “Prey”, and as the Caveman realizes that nightfall presents even more Danger, they began to Form what we now know as The Negativity Bias (The Tendency to pay more attention to Negative information than to Positive Information). Now the next time our Hunter prepares for a Hunt it may start off with Positive thoughts of Food, warmth and success…. But as they begin to hear obscure noises out in the distance and notice that nightfall is not far, The Negative thoughts begin to creep in and take over. The thought of being killed or eaten, or getting lost in the darkness of night and being Hunted is now at the forefont of our Caveman’s mind. Hungry, cold and Lonely are no longer powerful enough reasons to leave his cave and Risk Death.
This is Exactly how The Negativity Bias affects us all!
HUNTING DOWN MY DESTINY
Now, since most of us have evolved from those Caveman days (Most of us), let me bring this point a little closer to home and see if we can make it more relatable to Modern Days…
For myself, and I imagine for many of you reading this, the Possibilities and Opportunities of becoming a successful Affiliate Marketer were the Driving force behind the desire to pursue this as a Career. Creating Financial Freedom as well as Freedom of Time is something we all wish to have in our lives, and owning an Automated Online Business with a Dedicated Fanbase is our Golden Ticket, am I Right?
So I began my “Hunt”! Searching for the quickest, fastest and least painful way to Accomplish my Goal, full of Positivity and Eagerness just like our Hunter from earlier in the post. All the visions of Online Success and the Life I desire were free flowing through my thoughts.
My first encounter with Affiliate Marketing was through FullStaq Marketing and a gentleman named Keala Kanae. Now I will say off hand, I absolutely loved his attitude on Life and Business! I was genuinely astounded at the way he presented Affiliate Marketing. I purchased an Online Training Suite and I had the Pleasure of Attending a 3-day Virtual Event in which he and his team help you “Launch your own Business” in 3 Days. Essentially, they tell you which Softwares to acquire and how to integrate them together so you can build an active Sales Funnel by Day 3, and they Pay for and drive Solo Ad Traffic (50-60 Clicks) to your Landing Page…. And by Day 3 your business is Up and Running!
This is where the Progression Session moment happened!!
The next step was a call with a Team Member to discuss my plans going Forward. Great Conversation, asked many Intellectual questions, then came the Hammer…
“Our Mentorship Programs start at $6,000 for 3 months, $10,000 for 6 Months and $15,000 for 1 Year!”
My Heart sank to my stomach and my Jaw hit the floor… To this day I have never even seen $6,000 in my Bank Account unless it was Income Tax Time and my tax return had just come in, let alone have an extra $6,000 for a 3 month Coaching Program. Slowly but surely the Negativity Bias began to kick in, and then the Thoughts of “What If I Can’t, What If I don’t?” For 5 or 6 days I seriously considered just forgetting about Affiliate Marketing all together.
Progress or Regress?
Decision Time Right Here…
Alll the Negative thoughts were filling my head, “Too Much Money, Its a Scam, It’s not worth it”. On top of that I now have to spend time creating, writing, editing and networking Myself! All I wanted to do was make a few bucks Online, not spend Thousands of Dollars First! All this nearly kept me from ever “Leaving my Cave”.
Despite all of that, I still had all of this Training and Education that I have just acquired and seen the many benefits of, along with this voice deep down inside saying, “You got This, Go Get It!” I’m not sure if our hunter had that same voice inside, maybe not… but I know a Select few of those hunters decided to leave their cave and hunt despite all the Dangers, or else the Human race wouldnt be here. And not only did they Survive, but they Evolved and Thrived!
I decided I was going to do the same, I would venture out and find a way to make this happen.Although I loved Keala and the Fullstaq Program, I wanted to see what other options were out there. So I began searching for other ways and avenues to attain the Proper mentorship and coaching I require. I came across a book called “The Iceberg Effect” written by a gentleman named Dean Holland. This is where my Journey really picks up steam!
(In Future Posts I will discuss my encounters with Dean Holland, his amazing Book and his Unique Coaching Program.)
Conclusion
In the End, It is up to each one of us to decide for ourselves… Will I allow the Negativity Bias to Overshadow my own Dreams and Desires? Am I going to allow the Fear of Failure to Overpower my Confidence and Ability?
NO way, NOT me… I am going to Survive, Evolve and Thrive! What About You Friend?
Let’s talk about your encounters with The Negativity Bias Beast and any Progression Session moments in your Journey! Hit me in the Comments Below and Lets Communicate!
To Your Success,
Brother, I love this post. I have found, if I am honest, I have been in the negative mindset way too many times to count. I am taking a stand to make the conscious choice to be positive – whether personal relationships or professional ventures. Your post rings true for me and for so many, I am sure! Let me join you when you state, “… I am going to Survive, Evolve and Thrive! ” Man, you are starting to make me have a soft spot for you NMSU Aggies out there :). Take care and I look forward to your next post, my new friend!
Hey Ernie,
Thanks for swinging by and Checking in on me! I didn’t post this one in the Saturday Share so I feel even more honored to receive your comment! These are the types of things that i believe are really going to help us get to the next Level of this whole Online thing… It’s the Mental part. I find when I sit with my own thoughts its hard to stay Motivated here, too often I find myself letting my mind wander and attention as well, and before i Know it an hour past and I did nothing LOL!! Then the Negativity really sets in and I throw myself a pity Party for wasting time… Im trying to remain self conscience and recognize these faults early so I can work on them. Anyways, Thanks for swinging by again! Looks Like we may just have to be Friends despite our Alumnis!
Talk Soon!
Ray, you on to it here. Yes, I agree that our thoughts and though pattern is very important. This is what creates our future, That is how important this subject is. Stay on it and let’s all keep the right outlook on life.
All success to you!
John
Hey John,
Thanks for the Comment and the feedback! Yes, positivity and Mental Toughness are two traits that are key to succeeding at anything we apply ourselves to. Hope to hear from you again soon My Friend!
Reminds me that we all have imposter syndrome at one time or another. I am reminded that when share thoughts with the wrong person. Most don’t care and 85% are glads its you. mental toughness is a big game changer when it comes to succeeding online. I did not have any level of even moderate success until the had the tenacity to follow through inspite of negative thoughts.
Hey Scott,
Ya the Imposter Syndrome is definitely a big one and tough to overcome… the crazy thing is, people pretend to be someone they aren’t on social media everyday, without any hesitation… They Post, TikTok and Snap the 20% of their Life that they want you to see, while hiding and ignoring the 80% they should be working on. I for one am focusing on Improving the 80% of myself that needs to catch up with the 20% that people know. It’s easy to be the Best Version of yourself when People are watching, the Challenge of avoiding Imposter Syndrome is being that exact same person when No One is watching. Thanks for the Awesome comment and Happy to hear you have found some Success in this Online Venture, I hope to do the same in the Future. For now I am fcused on improving My Skillset.
Hi Ray,
I have always found if I’m allowing myself to have negative thoughts, then I tend to not get as many things accomplished as well. It is so important to always have a positive mind set so you can get things done right. It’s funny that you used to work with the Keala, and the Fullstaq community. I first signed up with them too, before I found Dean. They were great as well, but I’m incredibly happy with Dean, and all he has to offer. Thanks for the great post.
Meredith
Hello Meredith,
Ya its tough to stay focused and Accomplish anything when Negativity is running the show. Having a Positive mindset starts with our willingness to Battle against our own thoughts Everyday… We may lose a battle here and there, but if we can win the War against our Negative thoughts we gain the Will Power to overcome any obstacle on our way to Success.
That is Funny, Keala was definitely a major influence on my Interest in Affiliate Marketing. Something about his energy and Confidence was easy to follow and Become a fan of. He actually had spoke about Dean and his book one day whiuch us what led me here to Dean and his Program. I gotta say Im pretty happy here with Dean and the Team as well! Hope to stay in touch and Good Luck on the rest of your Journey!
Wow, what a great post! I know that everyone tortures themselves with negative thoughts, and it is so difficult to turn that around. We all come from different backgrounds growing up…some more negative than others. It takes so many more positive thoughts to negate a negative one, and it’s a practice one should seek out daily. It also helps to have a strong positive support system to surround yourself with. Either way, I think a critical factor in success in anything is to get yourself to a place where you believe in yourself and, more importantly, that you deserve it.
I look forward to reading more about your journey.
Hey Vanessa!
Thanks so much for your Amazing Comment and Awesome Feedback… Yes Self Awareness and Self Confidence are Key to becoming the best Version of ourselves. That Version of ourselves is the person that can leads us to the Success were all chasing down! I have come to Learn that “Millionaire” isn’t an amount of Money you have… It’s a Mindset! It’s a Daily Commitment to Improving Yourself while creating Habits and Routines that Maximize your Progress. Thanks for reading and Commenting, Hope to stay In Touch!
Did this post ever hit home. I have honestly been working on staying out of the negativity, but it is ingrained! Lol! BUT when these thoughts show up and I catch myself, I say to myself, ‘why not me?’ This helps for me and I think I am gaining ground against this ‘programing’, a little more every day.
Good job and you got this!
Great post
it hits home and is very relevant to all our journeys. well written and great value for the readers
I look forward to reading more form you
Hey Warren,
Thanks For your comment and feedback sir! I hope to continue providing Value to anyone who is willing to listen to me babble on lol! Hope to stay in touch! To Our Success!
Great motivating post! Let’s fight those negative thoughts. If a pathway looks difficult, search again. There is surely a better one that suits you more. Good analogy with the cavemans. This made me think about a movie animation called “the Croods”. It is about a family living in a cave and the man didn’t want to go out because he feared for his family and all the potential dangers outside. However they had to face it if they wanted to survive.
Thank you!
Hey Martin,
Man I Love that Movie! Actually I Love both of them lol… And now that I think about it your right, that Movie is a Great Example of how Fear can hold us back from Evolving and Thriving, and if your Brave enough to face and overcome that Fear and “Find your Tomorrow” there is a whole New World of amazing Opportunities waiting for you! Now I will never watch that movie the same again! Thanks for your Awesome Comment, Im off to watch The Croods right now!
Ray, fabulous post my friend. This is what I believe there’s not only the most important message within building your affiliate Marketing business, but I think it’s the most important message in life. People look to blame the situation or someone else for the position that they are in. Having a’ I can’t do it ‘attitude rather than ‘I can do it’ attitude is up to us. I think the most important lesson is when you realise that when you get up in the morning you decide what mood you’re gonna be in, you decide how you’re gonna talk to people , you decide how you’re going to spend your day. Yes stuff happens but it’s how you deal with it because often it’s 10% problem and 90% reaction and it’s the reaction that we have to rebalance. Thanks so much for this post I loved it, Atif
I have read some of your comments and agree with everyone that this is a great post. Negativity can bring us down and it is important to be Positive the most we can be. Your statistics were very interesting. Who would have thought we are such negative creatures. I am going to have to pay attention to my thoughts.
Sherri
Hey Sherri,
Yes we live in a world filled with negativity and biases so its so easy to fall into the either or both categories. With Discipline and Self Awareness we can combat the Negativity, but it has to be an everyday commitment! Thanks for your awesome Comment, I hope to keep in touch!
I absolutely can appreciate that you are shining a much-needed spotlight on negativity bias. I know this to be a very real, tangible thing and without awareness, it can shut you down in your tracks before you ever even get started. I applaud you for not only recognizing this for what it is but for throwing it out there so you know your challenges before they arise. This is why I know you’re going to succeed. I can’t wait to follow your progress!
Hey Lauren,
I Aim to let as many people in on the Secrets of Negativity and the effects of letting it hang around. It is such a destructive force to our mental and emotional Fortitude yet most people choose to live, act and think Negative by choice. We all have a choice each day we wake up to Challenge ourselves and approach each day with a Positive outlook and Perspective, with the understanding that Resilience will be required because we will all Inevitably face Struggles, setbacks and Hardships. Thanks for your Comment and Very kind words! Hope to continue adding Value to these readings and Lets stay in touch!
Negativity Bias- the way to begin eradicating this is by vigilantly focusing on one’s self talk. Pull out the weeds one by one. But weeds are beautiful, too! Gratitude for all of it helps stay in the present moment. Entrepreneurship is all about positive growth and thinking!
Funny that negativity bias, when we get compliments and criticism but focus on the criticism.
But the plus side of that is we seem to learn more when things go wrong, rather than when things go right!
There is a lesson there somewhere that if we take it on board it improves us overall!
You are right that in the end, it is up to us to decide whether we want to see the glass half full or half empty.
So you decide what you focus on and I am glad that you intend to ’ survive, evolve, and thrive.