Negativity's Snowball Effect & How to Stop It
Updated: Jun 12, 2019
When things are going well, it's easy to think happy thoughts, but when life's got you down, the last thing you want to hear is, "Think happy thoughts! Your attitude reflects your surroundings."
In this moment, I think it would make me happy to punch you in the face.
So how can you stop the snowball effect of feeling like crap, thinking crappy thoughts, and only experiencing more and more crap--whether it's in your business, relationships, finances, job, family, or friends?
Do You Even WANT to get out of your negativity snowball? If not, this content probably isn't for you and will be a waste of your time.
Top 3 Categories of Negative Energy
As "woo-woo" as it might sound, it's about shifting from a state catabolic energy (destructive and heavy in nature) to anabolic energy (constructive and light in nature). Still not on board with the whole energy thing? Let's take a look at the top three types of catabolic energy:
Victim Energy - What's the point in even trying? The world is against me anyways no matter what I do. This is probably where your world exists right now. This energy is very catabolic and is particularly helpful in making you feel worthless and like crap. Some people are happy here, because admit it, it's nice not having to be responsible for ANYTHING in our lives and letting others make all your decisions and if it goes wrong, at least you're not to blame. (Disclaimer! Victim energy can actually be a benefit! Think about how you play the victim card when you came home from college and secretly wanted your mom to wash your clothes and baby you!)
Anger & Conflict Energy - It's everyone else's fault that things keep going wrong for me. If you didn't fall into the victim category, it's likely some part of you is angry that you have been dealt a pretty crappy hand and feel like all your cards suck. You might get easily frustrated and are quick to anger. The good news here is at least you care enough to get mad about something. If you're mad or have a lot of conflict in your life, you are quite literally "on fire" energetically and will find a way to release it, whether it's physical or mental.
Complacent Energy - Meh, it sucks but I'm ok with it. It could we worse. Life doesn't suck, but it's not great and so it's easy for negativity to creep in and consume you. Why? Because you've settled and there isn't anything you want badly enough that will motivate you into action. It's easier and safer just to accept your negativity because you think, "My life is good; there are so many people out there who are way worse off than me. I make decent money that pays the bills. I don't like my job, but no one really likes their jobs anyways." Go ahead. Keep rationalizing your life and see how well it works for you.
Ok, so how can I shift out of these negative energies?
Recognize that YOU are in Control The first step is having the awareness that you are allowing your "negativity snowball" to control you as if you don't have a choice. The truth is you are in complete control of every. single. thing. in your life. Focus on that and make a list of all the decisions you made each day (you decided to get out of bed, what to eat, what to wear, to go (or not) to work, etc.). YOU MAKE HUNDREDS OF DECISIONS EVERY DAY. Start to recognize and notice how they impact your day-to-day routine.
Find an Outlet For Your Negatively Charged Energy There are ways to use your negative energy constructively (fueling efficiency, playing a sport, working out) or destructively (losing temper, lashing out, self-harm). Capitalize on that fiery energy that motivates you into action. Or if you need to, find a friend or someone you trust to allow you to vent; find some way to release the build-up of negative energy. How can you use your negatively charged energy to catapult yourself into positive action?
Get Mad About It Truthfully, maybe someone just needs to make you mad enough to finally do something about your situation. The question here is, how long are you willing to let your negativity control you? If that doesn't resonate with you, try asking yourself, "Where are these negative thoughts stemming from?" Once you uncover the answer to that question, you can begin to take the steps around resolving your blocks and reaching for the end of your snowball.
The Bottom Line
Negativity sucks and it is hard to stop the snowball effect, but it is possible. The beauty of being human is that we live in a dualistic world; meaning a world of opposites. Light and dark, good and bad, positive and negative. You cannot know or understand one without the other. Because you know negativity, you know positivity exists. For every problem there is a solution. Most importantly, if you're reading this, you have reached a point where you are ready to embrace happiness and something inside of you says that you are ready to leave ordinary behind and reach for extraordinary.
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This content is a representation of 3 of the 7 levels of energy found in the Energy Leadership Index. You can learn more about how your specific energetic profile and how it impacts your reality by taking the ELI Assessment.