Happiness and the Fear of Consequences
A timeless problem for human beings is their fear of negative consequences. Nearly every person in the world is wary of bad judgment and the undeniably negative consequences that follow. Some individuals have panic disorder and experience panic attacks as a result of their catastrophic thinking about negative consequences. Interestingly, it is often the case that the fear of negative consequences is more terrible than the actual occurrence of negative consequences.
The commitment to be happy, no matter what, provides a relief from the fear of consequences. Imagine that you are at a decision point, a figurative fork in the road; many choices extend before you. You imagine the potential outcomes for each of the choices available. Then you sort the outcomes with an eye towards pursuing the best and avoiding the worst. Stop for a second, notice what is going on.
First, remember that no one can predict the future. You simply do not know how you will react if a certain event actually occurs. People are notoriously poor judgers of predicting how they will feel after an event happens. I have heard people imply that they would rather be dead then live as a paraplegic. Scientific studies show that immediately after loosing a limb paraplegics are profoundly sad, but six months to a year later, they return to their original level of happiness.
Second, remember that reality has no meaning except the meaning that we give it. If a decision goes wrong and the worst of consequences actually occurs, a person with a commitment to be happy no matter what can be resilient and even thrive in the new external environment. It is not what happens, but how we think about what happens that matters. There are always positive aspects to any situation. Your task as a positive thinker is to explore the positive aspects of your current situation.
No matter what occurs in your external environment, you have the ability to change you perspective. You might ask yourself the question, “How can I use this?” to explore the potential benefits of your situation. Because you have the power to change your perspective and you have a commitment to be happy no matter what, you are free from the fear of negative consequences.
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Related Posts:
- Experimental Cheerfulness Article
- Happiness and Courage Article
- Why We Choose Unhappiness Article
- Happiness and Choices
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