“Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.”
Proverbs 11:27
In the early 1990’s, social psychologist Roy Baumeister began exploring the negativity bias–the widely accepted belief that bad has a stronger impact on people than good. His team conducted extensive research, hoping to find situations where a single positive circumstance was actually stronger than a negative one.
They couldn’t find any.
In fact, Baumeister and his colleagues discovered that negative life events are typically three to five times stronger than positive ones. In other words, it takes four compliments to make up for one put down.
He lays it all out in his 2019 book, The Power of Bad.
Here’s my favorite take away: our brains are hard-wired to focus on bad, but the rational mind can take this in stride by finding the good.
Baumeister recommends a positivity ratio of 4 to 1 (4 good to 1 bad).
Finding the good isn’t a new idea; it’s as least as old as the 1913 novel, Pollyanna. In the book, a young orphan named Pollyanna uses the “glad game” to cope with the circumstances and sorrows of her life.
Here’s how to play:
Always look for something to be glad about in any situation.
This makes sense. Maybe it’s why gratitude journals are so popular, while keeping an ingratitude journal is a non-starter.
But let’s take it all the way back to the first century. The apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Rome that God uses EVERYTHING for the good of those who love and serve Him (Romans 8:28).
“Child, I got this. It’s ALL good.”
God
Finally, brothers, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
https://davidsdailydose.org/2020/05/23/the-sky-is-probably-not-falling/
Davids Daily Dose 
Comments
12 responses to “The Sky is Probably NOT Falling”
That’s actually what another blogger friend said!
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I have had the same issue with things posting at the wrong time. I just figure that God knows better than me & that someone needs to hear the words…NOW!
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So true, God makes all the difference!
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Thank you. I appreciate your extra reading on my blog! The post about Mary was supposed to be scheduled for later, but somehow it published immediately.
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Linking this to your 12/12/20 post was the perfect addition to the post on Mary pondering the wonder of being the one to bring Christ into the world. 💙
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Thanks . It does that some times. I enjoy reading your inspiring feedback too. We need all the positivity we can get these days. Have a great weekend.
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I just found some comments you’ve made over the past few months in my spam folder. I don’t know why that happened, but I will contact Word Press about it. I enjoy your comments and don’t want to miss any.
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Same here. We can only do our best.
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You’re welcome. Frankly, I find it hard to find the good sometimes, but I keep trying. It’s not easy to find four times as much good as bad, but it’s worth the effort. God’s best to you!
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Thanks for the recent feedback. I found so many good this week. Thank God. If we try to see blessings and goodness , we will see them. God bless my friend.
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Thank you. It’s hard sometimes to find enough good to offset the bad, but then I remember that God is good, and that’s what matters the most!
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I so needed to read this. Sometimes people’s negative and behavior can get to even the most patient, nice person. I guess, that makes us human . Yes, we see the good and the abundance blessings before us…life, good health, friends and family, a job, above all, a God who will be there always. Thanks for the inspiration. God bless and take care.
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