Be Neutral

Negative thoughts lead to more negative thoughts. Negative thoughts lead to negative performance. Negative thoughts vocalized lead to even worse performance. These statements are all relatively well-known. We are taught to avoid negative thinking. We are taught to try and do everything we can to spin things to be more positive. Think positively. Give positive affirmations. Everything will be all right! Be positive and hope and things will change! What if hopeless positivity is not the best strategy either? What if it is cliche to try and put on a smile and lead others when things are going poorly? Positive thinking with no basis for being positive is not that helpful. Instead, focus on returning to a “neutral” state. There is no need to focus on the negative when life just happens. There is no need to focus on positivity when you can instead return to “neutral.” Neutral thinking forces us to seek truth and to find the facts.

This perspective comes from the work of Trevor Moawad, a renowned sports psychologist. Trevor published a book titled, Getting to Neutral, where he displayed his perspective on how he switched from teaching about constant positivity to “getting back to neutral.” He realized that as a coach, not every player will react the same way to a message. Many will shrug off claims that “everything will be alright” and “we can do it.” Too much positivity turned performance down. Trevor notably worked with Russel Wilson, and Wilson has credited his ability to remain “neutral,” even when the game seems out of hand as a key factor in his success. Almost all of the athletes Trevor worked with appreciated the factual, more real perspective, living in the “neutral” world provides.

Choosing to live in a neutral mindset does not mean we are never positive. Nor does it mean the negative does not exist. It means we are choosing to remain grounded in what has happened and how we can react and respond to be better. We are not hopelessly cheering ourselves on with unbounded positivity nor are we defeated by seemingly unconquerable negativity, we persist. By being neutral we are able to control what we do next. We are able to live in the “right now” while also building for the future. We become undeniable truth seekers because remaining neutral requires us to seek out facts. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low, be neutral.