Taking Control of Your Life’s Algorithm
Life can be compared to training an algorithm. The more we engage with something, the more it will be presented to us. By engaging with positive forces and avoiding negative ones, we can create a life that is filled with beauty, meaning, and fulfillment. Every decision we make has an impact on our future. It is important to set intentions and be clear about what we want to achieve, utilizing positive actions to open doors to new opportunities.
Focusing on the positive can help us see the good in everything around us and become more optimistic, leading to a more beautiful life. We can focus on the good by practicing gratitude, seeking out new and enriching experiences, surrounding ourselves with supportive people, and reframing negative experiences in a positive light. Consuming positive media and art can also have a significant impact on our mental and emotional well-being, inspiring us, providing us with new perspectives, and building connections with others.
Examples of Positive Media
- Upbeat music: music that has a positive, uplifting message or a cheerful and upbeat tempo that can boost your mood.
- Nature documentaries: visually stunning films that showcase the beauty and wonder of nature, which can instill feelings of awe and appreciation.
- Positive literature: books that offer uplifting messages, inspiring characters, and stories that leave you with a renewed sense of faith in yourself and the world.
- Art with positive messages: visual art that promotes optimism, hope, and positivity, such as motivational posters, uplifting murals, and inspirational quotes.
- Feel-good podcasts: podcasts that focus on positive topics, such as personal growth, wellness, and self-improvement, or that feature uplifting interviews with inspiring guests.
Focusing on the negative can lead to detrimental effects on our mental and emotional well-being, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Harmful self-talk, replaying past mistakes or regrets, and constantly expecting the worst can make it difficult to find joy in life, damage our relationships, and lead to a loss of motivation.
Consuming negative media and art can activate our body’s stress response, leave us feeling overwhelmed and powerless, and reinforce harmful stereotypes and biases. Your addiction to headlines isn’t making you more informed. It’s making you more depressed and resentful of whoever the media and corporate interests want you to hate. If all you consume is ugliness, eventually ugliness will consume you.
Examples of Negative Media
- Sensationalist news: News that focuses on negative events and sensationalizes them can lead to feelings of anxiety and hopelessness, and create a distorted view of the world.
- Toxic social media: Social media accounts that promote negativity, bullying, and hate speech targeted at any one group (especially groups you have differences of opinions with) can contribute to feelings of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness, damage relationships, and reinforce harmful stereotypes and biases.
- Horror movies: Watching horror movies can activate the body’s stress response, create feelings of anxiety and fear, and contribute to sleep disturbances.
- Political news/opinions: Consuming excessive political news or opinions can create feelings of anger, anxiety, and hopelessness, and reinforce biases and stereotypes.
- Depressing music: Listening to depressing music can trigger negative emotions, reinforce negative self-talk, and contribute to feelings of sadness and hopelessness. It can be cathartic in small doses but at a certain point licking your wounds too much will prevent them from healing.
We all need to make self-care a priority. Self-care can help us reduce stress, improve our mental and physical health, and increase our productivity. Some ways to incorporate self-care into our daily routine include practicing mindfulness, getting enough sleep, engaging in regular exercise, and taking breaks when needed.
It’s important to build a support system and cultivate positive relationships. Having a support system can help us cope with stress and adversity, provide us with a sense of belonging, and increase our overall well-being. We can cultivate positive relationships by being kind, compassionate, and supportive towards others, as well as seeking out relationships with people who share similar values and interests.
We must each find our purpose and pursue it with passion as it is what gives us a sense of direction and meaning, helping us stay focused on what’s important. To find our purpose, we can reflect on our values, interests, and strengths, and explore new opportunities that align with them.
We all have the power to create a better life for ourselves by taking action towards our goals, focusing on the good, practicing self-care, cultivating positive relationships, and actively identifying and removing negative habits and influences from our lives. By incorporating these practices into our daily routine, we can live a life filled with beauty, meaning, and fulfillment.