Written by Our world is full of unlimited possibilities, but with the wrong mindset, it is also full of unlimited probabilities that allow us to place limits on ourselves. A challenging, tragic, or complex event brings negative probability thinking to the front of our minds. Some create a cognitive biased based on it. (Roopleen, Dr. nd) We will not see the possible upside of the circumstance because we have let the probability convince us that it will only get worse. (Jay, 2020) Our grief, setbacks, and negative events thrive in those thoughts, making them seem bigger than they are or leading many to believe that there is no solution.
People see and hear it all the time. Phrases like “That’s just the way it is, and nothing can be done about it” flood the lexicon of conventional thinking. Some will give up hope and digress to the negative, making these phrases their realities. The failure to see the possibility of growth and upward mobility creates a stagnation mindset. Many whom a difficult situation has hit, revert to this thinking.
What they fail to understand is that probability is based on choice. The likelihood of something happening increases when the energy is applied to concentrating in that direction. (Roopleen, DR nd) Tony Robbins says, “Where focus goes, energy flows.” (Team Robbins, nd) When you look at the negative as the only way it will be, the mind will agree and not look to cultivate a solution, leading you to believe that there is no way. Seeing the possibility in the negative circumstance means that one is willing to find the solution, and one will not accept being trapped in that present moment.
Shifting our mind from probability to possibility will open up the creative aspects of the mind because the view is solution oriented instead of problem-plagued. (Leon, 2020) Belief is also a major factor that will allow one to shift their thoughts. The first verse of Hebrews in the bible even alludes to it. The verse states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is synonymous with belief. Creativity is stifled because of the mental uncertainties that negative probabilities yield.
Every situation has a solution, and one must look for it. That solution may be elusive, but it is not improbable. Continuing to search to seek a resolution will keep one out of the mind state of feeling defeated. The answers are unclear, but nothing worthwhile is easily obtained. When looking to handle a challenge or overcome a bad event, one must see it as an obstacle, not an impediment.
Looking for an easy way to obtain, manage, overcome, or bare a difficulty is unrealistic. There are no pinpoint “fixes” to any of life’s problems, but following probability down a negative road guarantees it to become what you predict. Also, not all probability is bad, when you predict negative results from an action, that probability is not a benefit; in fact, it becomes a detriment.
The world says, “See” if the circumstances that are hoped for and the possibilities do not come out favorable. Some live for that validation. It may be to justify inactions, lack of trying, or lack of desire to learn how to overcome the issue. Feeling like a victim and justifying it to yourself and others who will sympathize may feel good at the time, but it is not a solution to a problem.
The possibilities, on the other hand, carry promise. It gives hope for a new day and a new way of being. It is the actions of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. Although a person’s situation may not look good, their outlook on the possibility of it changing, as stated earlier, allows for creativity to offer solutions to the matter. Giving the option to think will push the possibilities of promise in the direction of reality. Predicting negative results from a circumstance shuts down the mind from thinking about creating a solution because it is convinced that there are none. The outcome only manifest based on how it is viewed.
Optimism is designed to feed possibility, whereas pessimism is designed to validate a negative probability. When looking to transform negative energy into fuel for movement, Probability will be the substance that will seize the motor. Positive movement cannot happen when a negative outlook on a matter has already been justified in that direction. Belief, as earlier stated, must accompany the aspects of possibility so the probability of something occurring moves in a positive direction. A good attitude gives needed hope and the ability to transform the energy of a negative happening into fuel to be used to create a positive outcome.
Allow your mind to open to the possibilities instead of closing it by predicting an outcome based on negative probabilities. That negative probability further solidifies a defeatist mindset because your predictions of failure mean you will not even allow the possibility to succeed.
Chances are not guaranteed, but a negative probability is because you have chosen to believe that there is no opportunity. When you have chosen to see your circumstance in that manner, you have decided to take a “rolling of the dice” approach to the problem. Combining that with luck allows a person to see this thinking as solution-oriented. When it fails, they look at the probability of it failing instead of seeing their negative mindset as a catalyst for the bad outcome. It now becomes a justification in their mind not to try again. They see a failed attempt as failure or an event out of their control as bad luck, with a higher probability of it worsening. (Jay, 2020)
Relying on others to increase the odds of success is another reason that possibilities fade and probabilities of failing increase. In the past, people believed that hard work was tantamount to a good outcome, and now that philosophy has been severely damaged, so has a person’s belief in possibility. There was a time when a person believed that their performance would create a beneficial life, but that has been placed in jeopardy for various reasons.
An article in the Harvard Business Review from its July-August edition talked about the uncertainties that plague employees in the workforce. It appears that instability has now become a part of human thinking in all aspects of life. The article’s writers discussed the power of predictability, which is a major factor in implementing decisions to either see possibilities from outcomes or probabilities from them. Thoughts of survival have replaced the ideas of dreams, and rapid response to a circumstance means that decisions must be rendered without having full access to information. Howard H. Stevenson and Mihnea Moldoveanu, writers of the article state, “Survival still depends on the ability to respond quickly to change, and organizations can still help people predict the outcomes of their actions and thus act swiftly and predictably. Without predictability, people will be too scared not only to take risks but to take any actions at all. Life within an organization will become what it was for the solitary hunter: uncertain, brutish, and short” (Stevenson and Moldoveanu, 1995)
The multitude of outside forces weighing in on decisions limits factors of trust that are used to fuel possibilities. The thoughts of predictable negative outcomes have now replaced it. People now must rely on their personal wherewithal over the safety and security they once had in relying on others to help them put the pieces in place.
Although this is the case, it cannot negate the desire to see the possibility of good results. It means that a person must think more outside the box than they used to and have faith in the calculated risks they are taking.
To create a positive outcome, start by thinking about the outcome being positive over the popular consensus of probabilities of failure. The chances of failure increase when you place the probability of it failing over the possibility of success. The mind must go against the herd in this respect, and one must agree to become the outlier, knowing there is no guarantee but believing that their abilities, effort, and hard work will produce a positive outcome.
Life can be a challenge, and the fact that negative headwinds also come into play does not make it any better. Creating positive fuel from bad experiences, keeping a positive outlook, and relying on hard work to complement faith are crucial elements to progress and a maintained belief in the possibility of a positive outcome.
Bibliography
Roopleen. Dr. (nd), How Positive Thinking Leads To Positive Outcome And Ways To Master It, https://www.drroopleen.com/how-positive-thinking-leads-to-positive-outcome-and-ways-to-master-it/
Team Tony (n.d.). WHERE FOCUS GOES, ENERGY FLOWS CREATE A VISION FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR LIFE. Tony Robbins. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/career-business/where-focus-goes-energy-flows/
Leon, C. (2020, October 12). How Constraints and Limitations Boost Creativity. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-constraints-limitations-boost-creativity-charles-leon/
Cherry, K., & LCSW, A. M. (2022, November 7). What Is Cognitive Bias? VeryWellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cognitive-bias-2794963
King James Version, Hebrews, 11 verse1, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV2&byte=5311535#:~:text=%5B1%5D%20Now%20faith%20is%20the,of%20things%20which%20do%20appear.
Jay, M. (2020, September 15). What to Do When Your Mind (Always) Dwells on the Worst-Case Scenario. Ascend. https://hbr.org/2020/09/what-to-do-when-your-mind-always-dwells-on-the-worst-case-scenario
Stevenson, H. H., & Moldoveanu, M. C. (1995, Jul-Aug). Motivating People | The Power of Predictability. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/archive-toc/3954