When some people feel helpless, they turn into a sort of despair saying words like, “life is unfair” or “businessmen are cheats”. Or they will say words that sound grand, like “I speak the truth, so people hate me”. Or “So and so is a fake, that is why people are around him”. This kind of negative outlook is not only harmful but in itself unfair to oneself and the rest of the world.

For example, when I say “life is unfair” I will be doing wrong to the million things that have happened in my favor. That in itself is injustice to oneself and others. Or when I say “everyone is fake”, that will be doing injustice to billions of people who are genuine in their life and attitudes.

I spoke about “optimism by default” in a previous post. In this piece, let’s talk about curbing negative self-talk. There may have been instances in your life where everything seems to be happening in a negative fashion. Perhaps you missed a graduation or lost a job. Perhaps a family member contracted the virus. Yes, it hurts and you may feel helpless. But, that is the crucial moment you should not let your guard down. Because, when you work with a negative set of assumptions – believe it or not – the end result will often be negative.

For example, let’s say Mr. X does not trust authorities or the national health department. Then, they would not take precautionary measures that will help prevent the spread of the virus. This distrust in the authorities will lead them to not wearing the mask or being sanitized. Sooner or later, Mr. X will contract the virus. If they do not stop the negative self-talk or the distrust in the authorities, things will only get worse, and will be hard to recover from this – both mentally and physically.

Another example is when you start a business. If you look at the world from a negative light, such as “the system is rigged” or “clients are stingy/greedy”, then you are setting yourself up for failure. On the other hand, if you market yourself in a way that will be winning the hearts of the thousands of kind and professional clients, chances are you will be working with one of them soon.

That is why life sometimes gives us the option to reset. That is when you need to take an honest outlook and press that reset button – and start a new leaf of love, kindness, security, trust, and positivity.