Manage Negativity for Success

Advances in neuroscience continue to give us both clues and validation on many theories posited by philosophers, great leaders, and psychologists. In several recent studies, it is now conclusive that our happiness, that chemical state of being with higher levels of dopamine and lower levels of cortisol, is less a function of happy activities and more a function of the power of negative experiences. Anecdotally, I had uncovered this when I interviewed over 60 people with Stage IV cancer for my book Is Today The Today, written in 2001. To a person, irrespective of age, gender, life lived, I found what these folks wanted to tell me on their dying beds had more to do with their regrets than their successes. They wanted me to know what had held them back, the negative experiences they had foolishly carried for so long, and how they wished others’ would not make the same mistake. Many other books and research corroborate what I learned.

It’s all about that threat …

We continue to learn amazing things about our brain. You know, the organ that makes all decisions, that processes all experiences, stores all memory and ascribes value to every activity and possession. Through digital imaging, scans, and virtual reality, we can simulate any experience and map what neuropathways are stimulated. We can now conclude that the brain’s default disposition is to process everything from a threat perspective first. It is not to value love, relationships, creativity, business collaboration and innovation. In other words, we are not inherently designed to do great things despite having an infinite capacity to do so. We are designed to protect ourselves from emotional, financial, corporate, intellectual and physical threats,  and will do it subconsciously without hesitation.