Imagine a day in which five good things happen to you, but then you step into a puddle and get your shoes muddy. If you were to consider your day ruined, this would be an example of negativity bias. We have a tendency to focus on negative experiences, even when they’re relatively trivial. In contrast, when you think back on your day and your mind focuses on the good things that happened—a kind text from a friend, a compliment from your boss, a relaxing walk in the park—that’s your positivity bias in action.

The positivity bias encourages a person to pay attention to the positives in life. Focusing on the positive will enhance your overall quality of life and can improve your emotional and mental health.

At the root of a positive attitude is gratitude—the fuel that helps power positive thoughts and actions. The attribute of gratitude is exemplified in the mitzvah of bikkurim—the offering of the first fruits of the land of Israel:

When you enter the land which G‑d, your G‑d, is giving you as an inheritance, you should take possession of it and settle it. Then you should take the first from every fruit of the ground, which you gather in from your land, that G‑d, your G‑d, is giving you. You should put it in a basket and go to the place which G‑d, your G‑d, will choose to make His name dwell there.1

Notice that the words “G‑d, your G‑d” are repeated three times. Perhaps this is to emphasize that everything comes from G‑d: the land, the harvest and the specific place in which G‑d makes His name dwell. This repetition connects all the good to the same, unified, source—“your G‑d.” It fortifies our consciousness of G‑d as a crescendo of recognition that culminates in appreciation.

Maimonides2 suggests an enlightening idea regarding the verbal declaration recited by every farmer when offering his first fruits: “And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which you, G‑d, has given me.”3

When living in material comfort, a person may become prone to haughtiness. Acknowledging that G‑d is the primary source of one’s success is pivotal to maintaining an attitude of gratitude, and bringing the first fruits served as a reminder.

What If Things Are Not Great?

But what if one’s harvest wasn’t bountiful? What if the farmer sees others who clearly have much more? “You shall rejoice with all the goodness that G‑d, your G‑d, has given you and your household.”4 A person must focus on the good that he or she has.

Lasting happiness is not determined by money or possessions. Many people with large bank accounts are still unhappy. Despite their wealth, they remain disappointed and depressed. People can squander their lives, convinced that they don’t have enough.

Appreciating the good in one’s life begins with gratitude for life itself. Waking up in the morning means that G‑d has a reason for you to be alive. What is that reason, and how can you best actualize it today?

The unhappiest people are often self-absorbed. They’ve become constricted by the negative way they perceive their own circumstances. Feeling and expressing gratitude expands us to include and interact positively with others.

Developing Gratitude

Feeling grateful may not come naturally to you, but it can be developed, cultivated and maintained, just like a garden. By emphasizing the good, you’ll come to feel gratitude.

From reciting the “Modeh Ani” prayer upon awakening, to mindfully reciting blessings before and after eating and even after going to the bathroom, we have numerous opportunities each day to practice gratitude and cultivate our awareness of the good G‑d bestows upon us. The thrice-daily prayer services—morning, afternoon, and evening—also all focus on being grateful.

Why the emphasis? Because it’s so easy to forget and fall victim to our negativity bias.

The mitzvah of bikkurim contains life-enriching lessons. Here are two to consider:

  1. Making a verbal declaration of gratitude enhances the experience, making it more tangible;
  2. Share your gratitude with others. When the Holy Temple stood, Jews left their homes and traveled to Jerusalem with their bikkurim. Their gratitude was expressed both individually and collectively.

The positivity bias is generally stronger in older adults. Studies have found that as people age, they tend to remember more positive than negative information. Perhaps this is due to the wisdom that only age can bring. But why wait until you are older if you can benefit from increased positivity now?

The Rebbe was known to advise people5, “Think good and it will be good.” Positive thinking is the Jewish way.

Making It Relevant

  1. What are you grateful for today? State it aloud and write it down.
  2. When you get together with friends, initiate the practice of having each person share something positive that happened that day or something for which they are grateful.
  3. Sanctify your first waking moment each day by expressing your gratitude to G‑d for your life. Then visualize your goals for the day and strive to actualize them.
  4. Before relating any negative experience or anything that you feel that you lack, start by stating two things for which you are grateful.