The Neutral Advantage

By Mark W. Mayhew

Do you sometimes feel that the world is out to get you? Does it feel as though everything that could go wrong, DOES go wrong? Does that tiny voice in your head keep telling you that you're worthless?

 

Negative thinking can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, or background, and can lead to severe depression or anxiety. It's a never-ending cycle—the more you dwell on the negative, the more likely you are to attract negativity into your life!

 

So how can you break the cycle?

 

The Neutral Advantage: How to Stop Being Negative, Stop Overthinking, Break the Habits of Negative Self-Talk, and Win Control of Your Life is here to help you reframe your negative thoughts, challenge negative self-talk, and transform your mindset.

 

Inside The Neutral Advantage, you'll discover:

 

• The impact of negative thinking on your mental and physical health, as well as your relationships.
• How to stand up to your inner critic and start challenging your negative thoughts.
• Mindfulness techniques to calm your overthinking mind.
• What you can do to manage your relationship with social media by going on a digital diet.
• How you can implement neutral thinking into your everyday life by focusing on controlling the way you react to situations.

The research, anecdotes, and practical exercises throughout this book will give you the tools to break free from the negativity curse, helping you to take control of your life.

 

Overcoming negativity is YOUR choice and by reading The Neutral Advantage, you're taking the first steps to breaking the cycle and looking at the world through different eyes! Take action today and unlock the neutral advantage that awaits you. Buy it today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Singer
• Release date: Jun 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223622512

Book preview

The

Neutral

Advantage

How to Stop Being Negative, Stop Overthinking, Break the Habits of Negative Self-Talk, and Win Control of Your Life

Mark W. Mayhew

© Copyright Mark W. Mayhew 2023 - All rights reserved.

The content contained within this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without direct written permission from the author or the publisher.

Under no circumstances will any blame or legal responsibility be held against the publisher, or author, for any damages, reparation, or monetary loss due to the information contained within this book, either directly or indirectly.

Legal Notice: This book is copyright protected. It is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute, sell, use, quote or paraphrase any part, or the content within this book, without the consent of the author or publisher.

Disclaimer Notice: Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, reliable, complete information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaged in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before attempting any techniques outlined in this book.

By reading this document, the reader agrees that under no circumstances is the author responsible for any losses, direct or indirect, that are incurred as a result of the use of the information contained within this document, including, but not limited to, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1:  The Power of Negative Thinking: Understanding the Impact on Your Life

Can Negative Thinking Really Kill Me?

Identifying the Patterns

I Promise, You’re Okay

Chapter 2:  Challenging Negative Thoughts: Identifying and Silencing Your Inner Critic

Living Too Far Into the Future

Napoleon and Negativity

Identifying Your Inner Critic

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Chapter 3:  Mindfulness, Overthinking, and the Illusion of Choice

Understanding the Link Between Mindfulness and Overthinking

Choice Is an Illusion

Chapter 4:  Gratitude and Positivity: Shifting Your Mindset to Neutral

The Benefits of Showing Gratitude

Techniques for Cultivating Gratitude and Positivity

The Power of a Neutral Mindset

Chapter 5:  Self-Talk and Self-Esteem: Changing the Narrative You Tell Yourself

Negative Self-Talk

Techniques for Changing Negative Self-Talk

The Importance of Self-Compassion

Chapter 6:  Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt: Building Self-Confidence and Resilience

Understanding Fear and Self-Doubt

Building and Moving Forward With Self-Confidence and Resilience

Chapter 7:  The Negative Impact of Social Media: Managing Your Digital Diet

The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Managing Your Digital Diet and Improving Your Relationship With Social Media

Chapter 8:  Embracing Failure: Learning From Setbacks and Moving Forward

Tips to Embrace Failure and Move Forward

Chapter 9:  The Neutral Advantage: The Framework for Rewiring Your Brain for Success

Digging Deep Into Neutral Thinking

How to Be Neutral

Making an Ad Campaign and Reframing Your Mindset

Chapter 10:  Creating a Supportive Environment: Surrounding Yourself With Positivity

The Importance of a Supportive Environment

Techniques for Building a Positive Support System

Where to Find People for Your Support System

Maintaining Your Support Systems

Conclusion:  You Have Gained the Neutral Advantage

References

Introduction

It was a Wednesday, and there I was again—another shitty day in a string of shitty days and weeks. While it felt like I was the only one pulling their weight at work, this week seemed to be particularly tougher. I had been tasked with putting a presentation together for a group of investors, but everything I brought to my team was rejected. When I pitched their ideas to our executives, I was scolded and ridiculed for giving them subpar work. By this point, I was doing everything myself, but I couldn’t get past the thought that I wasn’t good enough to be in charge of a this project.

Screw it, I thought. Things weren’t progressing, so I was going to go get a mid-afternoon coffee, and of course, my favorite coffee spot was closed for remodeling. This meant I had to go across the street to Starbucks. They had already messed up my order twice that week, but surely they couldn’t mess it up for a third time.

They messed it up—again. It really felt like they were just doing this to screw with me.

I took my cup of disappointment and left. I needed to be back at the office. All I could do now was hope that nothing else would go wrong. That’s when I realized my tire was flat. I had driven over a nail from the nearby construction. Of course, I could have changed it, but I had put my spare tire on my wife’s car the week before. I felt like the world had just turned its sights on me and was determined to make my life a living hell.

It has taken me some time to realize that the world isn’t out to get me. It’s hard to believe, but this is how most people today live their lives these days.

Would you say that you’re a negative person? Most people don’t, but is your view of the world typically cynical or pessimistic? Do you spend time frequently dwelling on all the bad stuff that has ever happened in your life instead of something good that might have just happened? What about that tiny little voice in your head—the one that loves to give commentary to everything you do?

You don’t deserve good things.

All the worst things will happen to you and nobody else but you.

Why bother trying?

Or worst of all, You’re a piece of shit.

Nobody sets out to be a Negative Nancy, but something happens, and suddenly there is that voice playing on repeat in your mind. It tells you these things. It critiques your every move, and it seems to be the loudest when you fail. When something good happens, there is always a but. You have likely been listening to this voice for so long that you’re actually believing it.

It’s a habit that you probably have wanted to break for so long, but you keep repeating the same vicious cycle. This habit of negative self-talk is a tough habit to kick, but it is absolutely crucial that you do if you want to live a life that’s actually worth living.

Negativity Is a Problem

Negativity is a pervasive issue that affects a variety of people. It has no limits to a person’s age, race, or their background. Once it manifests, it is hard to shake off the feeling. Several things can cause negative thoughts to form. It can happen through a general dissatisfaction with how life is going, or it can come from a hardship like job loss, death, or relationship failure. Negativity can also be a product that manifests because of other mental issues like anxiety or depression.

These thoughts and emotions can consume your mind, which will drain your energy and eventually drive you to a point where there isn’t even joy in everyday experiences. The problem is that it’s never one set of negative thoughts. One set of negative thoughts will breed more negativity, and it will attract all of your focus. This mindset is going to attract more negativity into your life through lifestyle choices and daily habits. Negative thinking is a vicious cycle that can really screw with your head and drag you down. Eventually, it finds its way into your relationships, work, and basically every aspect of your life.

So, this is one of those positive thinking books, right?

No, this isn’t one of those rah-rah–positive thinking can fix everything books. Positive thinking only works part of the time, unlike negative thinking, which operates 100% of the time. But, fear not, because in this book, we’re going to get to the root of your negativity. Together we will find some practical and tangible strategies for overcoming negativity. You will be shown how to change your mindset, how to discover the truth on how to create a more abundant outlook on life, and how to have a neutral mindset.

With the right tools and techniques, you can get out of that negative rut you have found yourself in and start living your best life ever.

What Do I Do?

There is no simple solution to overcoming these thoughts and feelings, but a great place to start is by recognizing that your negativity is a choice. You are the one who has the power to choose how you react to the circumstances of your life. Getting caught up in negative thoughts and emotions is easy to do, but that also means you can train your mind to focus on the positive aspects instead.

One of the most effective ways to bring that positivity in is by practicing gratitude. As a person focuses on things they are grateful for, the less likely it is for them to dwell on the negative aspects of life. It’s effective, and it’s easy to do.

Another strategy to fight that negativity you feel is to reframe these thoughts and feelings into positive ones. It can be a bit more difficult than being thankful for what you have, but by challenging your negative self-talk and replacing it with positive beliefs, you can empower yourself to transform your mindset. This will eventually lead you to a place of optimism. This is how you think neutrally. Neutral thinking is looking at