How to Stop Expecting The Worst (Catastrophizing) - Teal Swan

The transcript explores the psychological impact of anticipating negative outcomes in life, emphasizing the detrimental effects of a worst-case scenario mindset. It explains how past traumas can lead individuals to expect future tragedies, causing them to feel powerless and anxious. The discussion highlights the Law of Attraction, suggesting that focusing on negative possibilities can perpetuate a cycle of worry. To counteract this, the speaker recommends strategies such as acknowledging grief, planning enjoyable activities, keeping a synchronicity journal, practicing appreciation, and confronting fears directly. These steps aim to shift focus towards positive experiences and regain a sense of control over one's reality.

• Anticipation of future events can create excitement and optimism, making life feel fulfilling and meaningful.
• A positive outlook on the future reinforces the belief that one's desires are attainable and that life is moving towards positivity.

"The feeling of looking forward to things is one of the best feelings we can experience in life. It makes us excited to be here ... It makes us trust that our future holds good things for us ... It makes us feel like our desires are meant to be ours ... And, like we're headed towards the Light."

• This quote highlights the emotional and psychological benefits of looking forward to positive future outcomes, emphasizing a sense of purpose and direction.

• Many individuals expect negative outcomes due to past experiences of tragedy or hardship.
• This expectation leads to a lack of excitement for life and distrust in the future, fostering a belief in inevitable suffering and darkness.

"For a great many of us on this planet, we expect things to go bad, we expect the worst-case scenario. This makes us hate the life that we're living. We don't feel excitement about our life. We distrust what our future holds for us."

• The quote explains how past negative experiences shape current expectations and emotional states, leading to a pessimistic view of life.

• Preparing for the worst is a survival strategy for those who feel they lack control over their reality.
• This coping mechanism stems from a history of emotional, mental, or physical harm and aims to prevent being blindsided by future tragedies.

"'Preparing for the worst' is a coping mechanism. It's a survival strategy for those of us who feel deep-down as if we do not create our own Reality. It's a survival mechanism for those of us who have been hurt."

• This quote discusses the psychological roots of preparing for the worst, highlighting it as a response to feeling powerless and vulnerable.

• Expecting the worst leads to preemptive grief, feeling loss and disappointment before they occur.
• This mindset can distort perceptions of love, equating it with missing someone before they are gone.

"The most painful part about expecting the worst-case scenario, is this feeling of grieving for something, before we have experienced it even happening. We feel that crushing weight of loss for people before we've even lost them."

• The quote illustrates how anticipation of negative outcomes can lead to unnecessary emotional suffering and altered perceptions of relationships.

• Many forget that they have chosen their life circumstances for soul progression and that they create their reality through focus and attention.
• This forgetfulness leads to feeling blindsided by tragedies, as individuals do not recognize the vibrational preconditions they have set.

"We also forgot that we create our own reality by virtue of what we pay attention to. Because of this, we don't recognize the vibrational 'pre-conditions' which create tragedy in our lives."

• The quote emphasizes the importance of awareness in shaping one's reality and the consequences of neglecting this understanding.

• Suppressing grief and negative emotions makes one a vibrational match to further tragedies, often magnifying past experiences.
• Without acknowledging and processing these feelings, individuals remain stuck in a cycle of attracting similar negative events.

"We are a match to tragedy because we are not letting ourselves grieve the loss of the connection we had with the person who was supposed to love us the very most."

• This quote highlights the connection between unprocessed emotions and the recurrence of negative experiences, emphasizing the need for emotional acknowledgment and healing.

• Society often glorifies the concept of preparing for the worst, reinforcing a mindset of conflict and distrust in a benevolent reality.
• The military motto "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" exemplifies this societal endorsement.

"In fact, it's a glorified concept. Even in our country alone, our Military lives by the motto: 'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.'"

• The quote critiques societal norms that promote a defensive and pessimistic approach to life, suggesting it contributes to a negative worldview.

• In a universe governed by the Law of Attraction, what individuals expect is what they manifest.
• This creates a dilemma for those who expect the worst, as their focus on negative outcomes perpetuates their occurrence.

"In a Universe based on the Law of Attraction, what we 'expect' is what we get. But that there, creates a major issue for those of us who expect the worst-case scenario, because we start to worry about our worrying."

• The quote explains the paradox faced by individuals who are aware of the Law of Attraction yet struggle to shift their focus away from negative expectations.

• The Law of Attraction is described as impartial, functioning like a mirror that reflects your feelings and vibrations.
• Chronic worriers tend to attract more situations that cause worry, not necessarily the specific events they fear.
• Tragedy is more often aligned with lower vibrations like grief and loss rather than worry.

"The Law of Attraction is literally as impartial as a mirror. What that means, is that it's going to magnify and reflect, in a physical circumstance, your 'feelings' exactly."

• This quote explains that the Law of Attraction mirrors your emotions, not specific events, emphasizing the importance of managing one's emotional state.

"If I'm 'worrying', I'm not necessarily a match to the thing I'm worrying about. What I am a match to, is more Worry."

• This highlights that worry attracts more worry, not necessarily the feared event, underlining the cycle of chronic worry.

• 40% of worries never happen, indicating a waste of time and energy.
• 30% of worries are about past events that cannot be changed.
• 22% are petty worries, unrelated to major catastrophes.
• Only 8% of worries actually occur, with half of these being beyond control.

"40% of what we worry about NEVER happens, so in essence, we're completely wasting our time worrying about it."

• This statistic aims to reassure that much of what we worry about is unfounded, encouraging a more positive outlook.

"8% of what we worry about ACTUALLY happens... Of this 8%, 4% of our worries that happen are BEYOND our control."

• This emphasizes that a small fraction of worries materialize, and many are uncontrollable, suggesting a focus on actionable concerns.

• Acknowledge and feel original grief, often stemming from suppressed memories.
• Healing the emotional body is crucial to stop attracting negative experiences.

"We need to allow ourselves to feel the feeling, especially the feeling of the original grief which we suffered."

• This suggests that recognizing and processing past grief is essential for emotional healing and reducing negativity.

• Acknowledge the uncertainty of the future, which includes the potential for positive outcomes.
• Recognize that not knowing the future can work to our advantage.

"We can't know that bad things won't happen. But we also can't know that good things won't happen."

• This perspective encourages openness to positive possibilities despite uncertainty, reducing fear of negative outcomes.

• Examine subconscious beliefs about deserving good things.
• Challenge the idea that past bad events mean one doesn't deserve good things.

"If you're somebody who expects the worst to some degree, you are acknowledging on a subconscious-level that you don't deserve good things to happen."

• This highlights the need to confront and change beliefs about self-worth and deserving positive experiences.

• Recognize disappointment as a pervasive vibration and alter perspectives on it.
• Seek resources to help manage and understand disappointment.

"We don't fear disappointment until it happens to us. So we need to alter our perspective about Disappointment."

• This encourages a proactive approach to handling disappointment, reducing its impact on expectations.

• Plan daily activities around what feels good to foster a positive mindset.
• This step is aimed at shifting focus from negative expectations to creating a fulfilling day.

"Begin to design your day around the plan of things that feel good to you."

• This advice suggests that focusing on enjoyable activities can help break the cycle of expecting negative outcomes.

• Proactively plan small, enjoyable activities to look forward to, which can build confidence in positive outcomes.
• Begin with manageable expectations to gradually overcome fear of disappointment and increase belief in successful outcomes.
• Incorporating small pleasures into daily life can reduce anxiety about larger events.

"Get in the habit of actually actively planning and scheduling into your day lots of little things that you can look forward to."

• Actively planning enjoyable activities helps maintain a positive outlook and reduces the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by potential negative outcomes.

• A Synchronicity Journal helps recognize events that seem 'Divinely orchestrated' and aligns with the belief that one can create their own reality.
• Noting synchronicities can demonstrate the influence of one's focus and desires on reality, fostering a sense of empowerment.

"Make sure you take notes of every little synchronicity which you see."

• Recording synchronicities reinforces the idea that the universe is working with you, enhancing the belief in personal power over reality.

• Focusing on appreciation can shift attention away from worries and towards positive aspects of life.
• Keeping a Gratitude List or a tangible reminder can help maintain a focus on things that bring joy and gratitude.

"When you are in Attitude of Appreciation, it is impossible for you to acknowledge things that are going bad."

• Practicing appreciation interrupts negative thinking patterns and fosters a positive mindset by focusing on what is going well.

• Reflecting on instances where feared outcomes did not occur can challenge the belief that bad things always happen.
• Creating a list of these instances can provide evidence to the brain that its negative expectations are not always accurate.

"Make a conscious list of all of these times that you were wrong about the worst-case scenario."

• This practice helps to rewire thought patterns by providing proof that feared outcomes are not inevitable.

• Allowing oneself to fully contemplate the worst-case scenario can reduce resistance and anxiety associated with it.
• Acknowledging and understanding fears can lead to emotional release and increased vibrational energy.

"Let yourself go to the Worst-Case Scenario."

• Facing and exploring fears directly can diminish their power and facilitate emotional processing, leading to a clearer mindset.

• Recognize that expecting immediate change and success is unrealistic; instead, focus on planning to manage fears.
• Divide your fears into two categories: those you can control and those you cannot.
• For fears you can control, create actionable steps to address them, enhancing your sense of control and reducing anxiety.
• For fears beyond your control, practice letting go to reduce their impact on your present well-being.

"You are expecting way too much of yourself if you're expecting to just instantly wake up, and overnight, feel as if everything good is waiting for you in the future."

• This quote highlights the unrealistic expectation of immediate change and the importance of gradual progress.

"For the items in the 'CANNOT Control' List, practice the art of Letting Go."

• This quote emphasizes the importance of releasing worries about uncontrollable fears to improve mental well-being.

• Accepting that some fears cannot be controlled leads to reduced anxiety and increased peace of mind.
• Understanding that worrying about uncontrollable fears does not prevent them from happening can help in letting go.

"It may not be enough to stop you from worrying about it altogether, but it's easier to stop worrying about something once your brain sees that no matter how much it thinks about it, no amount of strategizing is going to work."

• This quote underscores the futility of worrying about uncontrollable fears and the peace that acceptance can bring.

• Directly focusing on fears and strategizing can help release resistance to them, reducing their power.
• Exploring worst-case scenarios can lead to acceptance and diminish the likelihood of them occurring.

"By facing those worries and by thinking of ways that we can prepare for those worries, sometimes that's enough to make it so people aren't worrying about it at all."

• This quote explains how confronting fears can diminish their impact and reduce worry.

"Sometimes, if we go deep enough into the Worst-Case Scenario, and allow ourselves to completely explore that feeling-space as if it's happening currently, we can make peace with the worst-case scenario."

• This quote suggests that fully exploring fears can lead to acceptance and reduce anxiety.

• Shifting focus to positive aspects of a situation can improve emotional well-being and reduce worry.
• Concentrating on potential negative outcomes can lead to self-sabotage and missed opportunities.

"Manifestation Experts, Spiritual Teachers, Psychologists and even Scientists agree that the thing that you center your attention on shapes the way that you experience your life."

• This quote highlights the consensus on the power of focus in shaping life experiences.

"Your fears will hold you back. They will harm or end relationships unnecessarily."

• This quote warns about the detrimental effects of fear on personal and professional relationships.

• Focus on thoughts and affirmations that genuinely improve your mood rather than forcing positivity.
• Acknowledge that past negative experiences do not dictate future outcomes.

"You only want to focus on things that genuinely make you feel better about whatever it is that you're worried about."

• This quote advises focusing on authentic positivity to effectively manage worries.

"Just because you experienced something negative and something tragic in your past, does not guarantee that it will happen in your future."

• This quote reassures that past experiences do not determine future events, encouraging a positive outlook.