Negative experiences, bitter comments and tears stick to us like tacks in cork. They're not loosely secured, they're deep in us with their sharp, pointy ends. It doesn't take any effort to remember the bad.
However, there's been studies that indicate we falsely magnify the bad so that it seems to be bigger than the good. (I watched an entire TED Talk about it so it's definitely true). Think about it: you don't acknowledge when things go smoothly because it's the norm, it's expected. But when you popped a tire on the way to work or when your best friend snapped on you, it's something you think about for quite some time.
There's 720 minutes in a day and 6,300 in a week. Why let a bad five, 10 or even 60 minute ruin the rest of them?
If you're an over-thinker like me and can't stop dwelling by sheer willpower, I'd recommend listing the good things and bad things at the end of the day each day. If you're going to remember a slightly irritating thing as insignificant as, say, an embarrassing moment, remember the insignificant happy things. Your hair looked good today! You had a nice lunch.
Whenever I do this exercise, I always run out of bad things at around 10, even on my worst days. However, without fail, my list of good things fills up more than a page.
If you're not a writer, just think about it or call someone to relay all the great things. Anything is better than letting the positivity pass you by.
When you do this, you realize that life is filled with tiny little bits of happiness and you're worth all the minutes it takes to count them.
