Serve, Coach, Lead Newsletter #24: Can Negativity Kill Us?

Today we are going to jump back into one of my favorite books:

It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Moawad.

The book's main idea is that rather than thinking positively or negatively, thinking neutrally allows us to effectively assess any situation and react accordingly.

Moawad discusses the effects that negative thinking has on our mind and body. He explains how our minds are hardwired to remember and act upon negative thoughts and actions, because this is what humans did when their main goal each day was survival.

The world now is much safer, and each decision we make usually isn't a matter of life or death.

Or is it?

A 2015 study in the Annual Review of Neuroscience examined multiple previous studies and found that negativity can lead dieters to overeat; can lead people to accept smaller, more immediate rewards instead of bigger, long-term payouts, and can lead to aggressive behavior. Negativity inhibits our ability to delay gratification - even when delaying it would help us in the long run (Moawad, 2020, p. 90).

A 2014 study published in Neurology linked higher levels of "cynical distrust" - another term form negative thoughts - with a higher incidence of dementia (Moawad, 2020, p. 90).

So, negative thinking has been directly related to an unhealthy diet, choosing immediate gratification over long-term rewards, aggressiveness, and in some cases, dementia.

You decide: Are the decisions we make and the thoughts we allow ourselves to have a matter of life and death?

Let's bring us back to sports.

Some of you may have heard of Bill Buckner, who played first base for the Boston Red Sox in 1986. In game six of the World Series that year, a ground ball that went right through his legs let the winning run score in the tenth inning. The opposing Mets would go on to win game seven and claim the World Series.

What some of you may not know is what Buckner said nineteen days prior to that game. During a television interview, Buckner said, "The dreams are that you're gonna have a great series and win. The nightmares are that you're gonna let the winning run score on a ground ball through your legs."

Do the words we say have the power to change our outcome?

Would Buckner have fielded that ground ball if he wouldn't have said those words out loud?

We will never know.

However, it goes to show that the thought had crossed his mind prior to it happening in real life.

As leaders, having a positive/neutral outlook (as opposed to a negative one) can change the way we, and those around us, behave.

To put it bluntly, Moawad says, "Stop saying stupid (alternative word for poop) out loud."

I couldn't agree more. Let us speak life into those around us, and not let negative thoughts and emotions affect our decisions.

We can still be realistic and focused without having a negative attitude.

This week, I encourage you to resist the urge to have negative reactions when things are going awry. Assess the situation, and act accordingly by making the next right decision.

Next week, we will dive into some practical steps to remove negativity from our daily lives!

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If you would like to reread the last edition of the newsletter, you can find it here.

Thank you for your support, and I look forward to connecting with you all next week.

God Bless!