The Power of Neutral: Staying Positive by Reducing the Negative

I was listening to a sports radio talk show recently, where Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was talking about how he focuses just as much energy into a healthy mind as a healthy body. One thing that he said struck me: you dont have to be sick to get better. Meaning that too many people only seek assistance with mental health when they believe something to be wrong. He said that he was working closely with mental conditioning coach Trevor Moawad to help not only be a more successful NFL quarterback, but a more successful entrepreneur, and a happier human.

Moawad uses the idea that people exhaust themselves by spending too much time and effort in attempting to bring positive energy and reinforcement to their lives; and instead suggested that a change in behavior where we attempt to reduce the negativity can lead to a more neutral mindset, achieving more happiness and success as a result. In an article with Worth.com, he supports his idea using research from the Harvard Business Review, where the costs of toxic behavior in the workplace are evaluated. They found that the effect of one de-energizing (or negative) tie is four to seven times greater than the effect of a positive or energizing tie. What does this mean? It essentially means that negativity is stronger than positivity. A negative employee or friend can reduce the sense of belonging, decrease motivation, and even lead that person or persons associated with those who are toxic to become toxic themselves.

Now I know what youre thinking. But neutral sounds so...neutral, right? As weve been trained, neutrality is the absence of forward progression. In Moawads case, hes suggesting that a neutral mindset is the absence of negativity, allowing for more advancement towards positivity. Think of neutral as balance, and who couldnt use more of that?So what can you do to be less negative and more neutral? Start with inspecting your habits or behavior. It might be as simple as changing what you choose to say aloud. As Moawad ponders, What if instead of telling people to be positive we just stopped saying negative things out loud? We say constantly that if you give voice to something positive, it has greater power over us to strive to make it a reality, so shouldnt we assume the inverse? This may sound like mindfulness, and while its similar, the process isnt the same. If you experience toxic or negative behavior all day, then at night you meditate for 10 minutes, what are you truly accomplishing? You need to isolate and excise the caustic behavior and habits that cause you to feel the need to practice mindfulness in order to truly reap the benefits of the practice.

For me, it starts with those around me. I consider myself an empathic person, or one who shares the emotions of those I associate with. If Im surrounded by negative people, I have a greater propensity to be negative myself, so I make efforts to surround myself with positive people and away from those who can bring negativity into my life. These types of decisions never come easy, and sometimes these can be relationships that have been a significant part of my life. I also understand that experiences such as loss can have a profound impact on your emotions, but I also know those effects are largely temporary. So I offer as much love and support to those as I can (as people have done for me), to the point where they should have the ability to stand on their own. Should they continue to depend on my support while establishing no stability of their own, this is when the relationship runs the risk of becoming toxic and I should evaluate what it brings to my life, and also what my actions are doing to influence that persons behavior.

Each person and their situation is different, and what works for me may not for you. Ill leave you with this: control what you can control. Moawad mentions you have many options in life, but you have complete control over the choices you make for each option. Take the time to think about the impact these choices have and look to reduce the negativity and grow towards a neutral mindset.

If you have thoughts or opinions Id love to hear them in the comments!