What You See Is What You Become

There is a burden in my heart and it’s a burden of the spread of negativity and how people are being infected with the same bug. If you are reading this today and you have normalized actively seeking bad news so that you can justify your feeling about your leaders then you may not know that you have been successfully recruited.

This doesn’t mean that we close our eyes to evil. That’s not what I am saying; it simply means we must spot the good much more than we are fixated on the bad. God didn’t deny the weakness but he didn’t dwell on it. This was why he commanded the weak to be fixated on strength.

Two people can walk through the same street at 7am. One sees traffic, potholes, and a country “going nowhere.”

The other sees a new bakery opening, a guy hawking newspapers hustling, and three billboards selling opportunity.

Same street. Different worlds.

Why? Your Reticular Activating System - RAS.

Think of your RAS as your brain’s bouncer. Out of 11 million bits of info hitting you every second, it only lets in what you’ve told it is important.

Tell it “life is hard,” and it’ll point out every evidence of hardship.

Tell it “there’s opportunity,” and suddenly you notice the open shop, the hiring sign, the friend who needs your skill.

You don’t see the world as it is. You see the world you’re looking for. This is why some are opening new factories in the same economy others are cursing. I met a man in Scotland last week who told me of how he makes 1k usd daily from our stock market in Nigeria.

Listen, what you see is what you become.

So this week, let’s fire the bouncer and hire a new one. Here are 5 ways to eliminate negativity and train your eyes for good:

1. Start with a “search instruction” every morning

Before you touch your phone, ask:

“What’s one good thing I’ll find today?”

Your RAS needs a job description. Give it one. Looking for problems? It’ll deliver. Looking for progress? Same energy.

Try this: Write “3 wins I’m hunting today” on a sticky note with your coffee.

2. Do a 24-hour news fast

Bad news sells because your brain thinks danger = survival. But you’re not in the jungle.

Go one day without doom scrolling. Replace it with one page of a book, one podcast, one call to a smart friend. Notice how your mood shifts when your inputs shift.

Archive groups that have become outlets for bad news.

3. Curate your circle like your playlist

You become the average of the five voices you hear most. If your group chat is 80% complaints, your RAS thinks complaining is normal.

Audit: Who energizes you? Who drains you? Spend 10 more minutes this week with the first group. Mute the second.

4. Practice the “And” Reframe

Negativity isn’t banned; it’s just not the full story.

Stuck in traffic? “This traffic is bad, *and* it gave me 20 minutes to think through my pitch.”

Deal fell through? “I lost that client, *and* now I know exactly what to fix before the next meeting.”

“*And*” keeps you honest without letting the problem have the last word.

5. Evidence Board > Vision Board

Don’t just pin dreams. Pin proof.

Got a thank-you text from a client? Screenshot it.

Closed a small deal? Write it down.

Your brain trusts evidence more than affirmations. When doom creeps in, open your Evidence Board. It reminds your RAS: “We’ve won before. We’ll win again.”

This week, don’t argue with reality. Edit what you notice about it. Because the world has both thorns and roses.

What you water, grows. What you see, you step into.

So what will you choose to see before the day ends today?

I call you blessed and welcome to the hall of incurable optimists who only see possibilities.

I honour you

Praise Fowowe