Overcoming the Devastating Power of Negative Events
Since the political and financial establishment seems committed to mindlessly marching down the dark road of economic destruction, I realized that maybe I should offer you some hope for every day living—especially since continuous economic mayhem is inevitable. We may not be able to do anything about the treachery of the establishment, but we definitely possess the means to overcome negative thinking and debilitating pessimism.
In Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book Fooled By Randomness he suggests that a negative pang (event) has an average of a 2.5 more intensity than a positive pang (event). If this is true, it’s no wonder that many experience a life sadly polluted with pain and suffering.
Obviously, if the negative events you suffer more than offsets every positive event you enjoy you are doomed to a life of pain and frustration. What is one to do?
As an advocate of The Libertarian Way I can definitely, state you were not born to exist in misery. You deserve to live a life of many pleasures and fulfilling activities. Imagine how wonderful your life would be if for every unpleasant experience, you offset it with 10 positive, enjoyable happenings. You know, even 4 to 1 in your favor guarantees you happily waltz through life—or rock ‘n’ roll through life if that’s what you prefer.
I’m sure you understand that life is just that—life. Since there is no such thing as perfection in the sphere of human action, you can expect unpleasant occurrences to carelessly stumble across your path. Realize that no one is immune from the vicissitudes of life. Unfortunately, we also have the strong arm of a liberty violating, wealth destroying government heaping even more misery on its citizens.
What I discovered through my many years of trials and tribulations is that by embracing The Libertarian Way and enjoying Libertarian Pleasures I am able to considerably increase the amount of success and pleasure I experience. Each day, I am transforming continuous happiness from a distant dream into my new reality. I have to tell you this. If I can do it almost anyone can.
What I’m stating now is really quite simple to absorb, although from observing how most people stumble through life you would think it takes a Mises or Einstein to comprehend it.
Anyway, here it is. If you are receiving the maximum amount of enjoyment from your relationships, the music you listen to, the food and drink you consume and all the other activities you value—life will be a rewarding experience.
Overcoming Negativity
Let’s face it. You determine your success and happiness by how well you deal with adversity. Do you handle it quickly and effectively—or do you allow it to permanently beat you down? Do you always allow a negative event or a series of negative events to cause you to become extremely stressed, lose your temper, or start depressing? If so, life will be quite difficult—if not downright miserable. You might as well be barring the doors and windows, not permitting happiness to trespass onto your property.
If you calmly accept the situation, get your thoughts and emotions under control, chances are you will overcome it. Napoleon Hill says “Every adversity has within it the seeds of an equivalent or greater benefit.” What a wonderful way to think and feel. You can even somewhat overcome the government’s disastrous interventions in the marketplace by becoming a contrarian.
I know. You’re thinking that taking control of your thoughts and actions is easier said than done. After all, spur of the moment circumstances sometimes completely blindside you. You can’t help how you might act under extreme duress. I understand that none of us is perfect; however, we sure in the hell can do better.
Let’s explore a few methods for juicing up the quality of life by overcoming negative events.
One method for dealing with the annoyances of life is to visualize and feel all the things you value. Once you focus your mind on the good things in life, you shift your energy to a more positive state.
Another method is to think about the pleasures you will be indulging in. With a pleasurable activity right around the corner, it’s difficult to remain in a negative state of being.
A third method is to go off to a quiet place and meditate for 10 minutes. If that’s not possible, at least close your eyes and relax—allowing a few of your fantasies to rise to surface of your awareness. The quiet mind is a receptive mind.
You definitely do not have to be at the mercy of negative events. You do not have to allow negativity, pain and suffering to destroy the quality of your life. It’s up to you to demand a life of pleasure and fulfillment. Do you know who you demand this from? Only you, of course.
Here are some more tips for increasing your enjoyment of life and overcoming negative events.
The more you allow yourself to become aware of your surroundings, the more rewarding your experiences of life’s pleasures are. One sure-fire method of increasing your awareness is daily meditation.
Another method is to focus on certain aspects of the physical world. For instance, gaze out your window or even better walk outside to maximize your experience. Pick out an object you would like to observe. Some examples are a flag waving in a brisk breeze—observing a floating leaf gently falling to the ground while listening to the sigh of a gentle breeze—or even something that seems mundane such as watching someone wash their car. Indulge in this for at least 10 minutes—and you will be glad you did. .
I guarantee you will be surprised how euphoric you feel after this exercise. It is a pleasurable experience indeed.
Robert A. Meyer
The Libertarian Way