Most people are addicted to bad news. Here is the thing, you have a choice. You can tune out the mainstream media that constantly showcases the worst of humanity while ignoring the progress the world is making.
Take a step outside and reconnect with nature. Go to the gym, learn to cook like a Michelin star chef, or take a vacation and enjoy quality time with your family members.
We are naturally wired for pessimism. The gloomy type who warns about every potential problem often comes across as more intelligent than a cheerful optimist like me. That is why you see so many pessimistic “experts” dominating social media. These experts often publish books, articles, and newsletters warning of impending crises.
One of my clients embodies this pessimistic mindset. You know the type, always convinced that the next stock market crash or global economy collapse is imminent. One of his yearly predictions is the demise of the US dollar. He is a fan of conspiracy theories and follower of financial doom gurus.
While he has a portfolio with me, the majority of his wealth is tied up in gold and silver elsewhere. One day, he even showed me his gold bars. Damn it! He is “right” about his arguments on hard assets. After all, governments in the Western world have printed trillions of dollars since the financial crisis.
This “paper money” has inflated asset prices, which, according to him, could collapse at any moment. He believes the only way to protect yourself is by owning hard assets that cannot be created or printed out of thin air.
Getting rich? Now, more than two decades later, he is still sitting on losses in his gold and silver investments, which have barely kept up with inflation. He is still expecting the world to collapse anytime. Even if he guesses right – eventually, he still does not know how the markets will react. Please do not get me wrong. I’m not saying that hard assets have no place in a portfolio. They do.
Unfortunately, there are many people like him who remain trapped in this pessimistic mindset. They tend to worry about many things. I introduced meditation to him, hoping it would help him see the brighter side of the world.