Negativity Bias or Rose Coloured Glasses?
I was told that “Aging with Yoga” is not a name that will attract followers because “aging” is smothered in negativity. Yes, there are a lot of negatives we can ascribe to the concept of aging, especially if our nature is to see our cup as half full or we’re inclined to believe the other shoe will fall off anytime soon. Our perspective is ours to own. Our viewpoint has been assembled and cultivated from our cumulative past experiences. If our slant is towards the negative, take heart. Did you know that the human brain has a bias towards the negative? It’s called “Negativity Bias” and its actually a thing. Kendra Cherry writes in her “What is Negativity Bias” piece dated April 20, 2020 (posted on verywellmind.com):Our tendency to pay more attention to bad things and overlook good things is likely a result of evolution. Earlier in human history, paying attention to bad, dangerous, and negative threats in the world was literally a matter of life and death. Those who were more attuned to danger and who paid more attention to the bad things around them were more likely to survive. This meant they were also more likely to hand down the genes that made them more attentive to danger. The evolutionary perspective suggests that this tendency to dwell on the negative more than the positive is simply one way the brain tries to keep us safe.So worry and fear have their purpose. The question is: do you colour everything you see and experience with the lens of negativity or fear? Be honest with yourself. The good thing is humans have all the tools necessary to change perspective because we have the ability to reason, to discern. There are so many benefits to seeing things clearly through rose-coloured glasses: lower blood pressure; more laugh lines and less wrinkles; your kids and friends will want to hang out with you more; life will seem less challenging ; you’ll like yourself more - maybe even love yourself!I thought it would be fun to put on those rose-coloured glasses and tease out some adjectives from the first letter of the words ‘AGING’ with ‘YOGA’. What’s the first positive word that comes up for you when you see the “A”, “G”, “I”..etc? Here’s my go at it:
A dapting Y es
G race WITH O pen
I ntuition G etting
N ow A ction
G iving
Let’s promise to revere ourselves and the light that burns brightly inside each of us – at least let’s try hard to make this a daily priority and a goal! Together, we can do this aging thing really well.
Age Strong. Age On.