Negative Visualization

I’ve read a handful of books lately on stoics, and different concepts of living in the now and your best life.?Many of these books and concepts, albeit valuable, become somewhat redundant.?However, there was one that jumped off the page enough to me that, well heck, I figured it was worth writing a blog post on it.

Negative Visualization Vs. Positive Visualization

The concept, as the title suggests, is of negative visualization.?Before we dive in let’s first take a look at positive visualization, a concept we are more accustomed to.?The concept of positive visualization is simple and we have all done it thousands of times.?You visualize what you want in the world and go after it.?For instance, you want to buy that dream house or car and put a picture of it on your work computer background. This keeps you motivated on your current tasks due to you realizing it is a means to an end.?You’ll work harder and be more motivated knowing that there is a pot at the end of the rainbow.

The inherent issue in positive visualization is it leaves you always wanting and not living in the now.?In steps, negative visualization was made popular by Seneca and other ancient stoic philosophers.?The concept is easy and quite profound.?What if for a moment you stopped picturing your goals and dreams, and instead pictured what would happen if your current situation turned worse? What if you lost your job right now, what if you got sick, what if instead of being at X level in your career you were sadly at Y level??

The thesis behind negative visualization is by picturing the world without all the things you take for granted, you become more appreciative of what you have, not what you yearn for.?Goes back to a concept I always struggled with and found puzzling, the terminal patient concept.?

How many times have you heard or seen an interview of someone going through a life-threatening illness where they state something such as I live every moment like it’s my last.?Or, I appreciate all the small things now like a cool breeze or a walk on the beach.?Yet here you or I are, totally fine, and can’t appreciate all the amazing things we have that we take advantage of on a daily basis.

Thus, negative visualization’s whole principle is to think how much worse things could be and then realize A. why am I worrying about things in the future that might be, and B. make you so much more appreciative for the little blessings in your life you do have.?

Appreciating the Small Stuff

Maybe you do or don’t find it as profound a concept as I do.?Regardless, it is a concept I’ve really struggled with for years, and found this simple concept, albeit maybe not a panacea, is super powerful in helping me appreciate the small stuff.

?I certainly have a lot of work before anyone says my name in the same sentence as the great stoics like Marcus Aurelius.?But that is not my personal mission or the purpose I am sharing this nugget with you all.?

Rather, I find a major issue in today’s Social Media lifestyle.?You know the one, where everyone seems to be happy, on vacation always, in perfect marriages, and their kids are amazing at everything.?Yet here I am annoyed at little things, still can’t get my son to ride a bike, and stuck actually working for a living. However, when you compare your life against well your own life, you really start to have a different outlook and perspective on things.

That is my hope for today’s blog, a little concept that may not put more money in your pockets today but likely has you appreciate the money that is in your pocket as it could always be worse, like A LOT WORSE!

Alright, that is all I got since ya know, I got to get back to work.?Stay wealthy, healthy, and happy.