Day 354: On Focusing on the Good Things

354天：关于关注美好事物

I think it’s almost an indulgence to focus on the dark side of things. And as you get older, you want to focus on the positive.

我认为，关注事物的阴暗面几乎是一种放纵。

随着年龄的增长，你会希望把注意力放在积极的方面。

—Rob Brydon

On several occasions, we have talked about cultivating positive emotions when things go bad. I argued that focusing on the bad things is an act of mental laziness because they’re easier to access than the positive ones. Today I’d like to talk about this topic yet again, this time by looking at it as a new habit to instill.

我们曾多次探讨过在事情变得糟糕时培养积极情绪的问题。

我认为，关注坏事是一种精神上的懒惰行为，因为坏事比积极的事情更容易获得。

今天，我想再次谈谈这个话题，这次是从养成新习惯的角度来加以探究。

As people get older, they tend to focus more on the dark side of things. Perhaps it’s because they’ve experienced more things, suffered more failures, or were let down by more people. Whatever the reason, if you want to remain a happy and successful person, grumbling is not the way to go.

随着年龄的增长，人们往往更关注事物的阴暗面。

也许这是因为他们经历了更多的事情，遭受了更多的失败，或者被更多的人所辜负。

不管是什么原因，如果你想保持快乐和成功，抱怨不是正确的做法。

If by default you focus on the dark side, it’s time to develop a new habit: whenever you catch yourself focusing on the dark side of things, come up with one good thing about the situation and focus on that thought instead. Keep your mouth shut if you want to voice a complaint.

如果你总是把注意力关注在阴暗面，那么是时候养成一个新习惯了：每当你发现自己把注意力集中在事情的阴暗面时，就想出事情的一个优点，然后把注意力集中在这个想法上。

如果你想抱怨，就闭上嘴巴。

For example, if you’re out enjoying a walk with a friend and it’s starting to rain, resist the temptation to complain about the bad weather. Instead, say (for example) that it’s nice to take a walk despite the rain because there are fewer people around, or redirect your attention to something else, such as your friend’s recent success.

例如，如果你和朋友在外面散步，天开始下雨，要抵制住抱怨坏天气的诱惑。

相反，你可以说（比如）尽管下着雨，但散步还是很不错的，因为周围的人比较少，或者把自己的注意力转移到其他事情上，比如你朋友最近取得的成功。

Exhibiting a positive attitude takes work, but it’s work that is well worth the effort. Strive to focus on the positive and train yourself to always find something good, even in the worst circumstances. You’ll get better at controlling your thoughts and become more optimistic and resilient.

表现出积极的态度需要付出努力，但这种努力是值得的。

努力专注于事物积极的一面，训练自己即使在最糟糕的情况下也总能发现一些美好的东西。

你将能够更好地控制自己的思想，进而变得更加乐观和坚韧不拔。