Thursday, October 29, 2026
There isn’t a person on the planet not dealing with atrophy. From Greek roots, that means “malnourished.” It’s a process of becoming vestigial, forming a very small remnant of something that was once much larger.
Skills atrophy. Bodies atrophy. Vigor atrophies. For me, it’s positivity that wanes. My slant tends towards negative. Skills naturally decrease, so does faith. It sags, easy to be blue.
If you have a negativity bias, you’ll find “reasons to be happy” difficult to find. I see circumstantial evidence, and it’s downhill. Negative slants are like gravitational pulls.
In the realm of storytelling, atrophy is a hidden, creeping in of doubtful stories and feelings. These weighty buggers germinate naturally, however. If you work up a piece of music on the piano that’s polished to high luster, you lose it. Hope and positivity are no different. They’re practiced and sharpened, daily. If not hourly. That’s the effort of faith. That’s keeping yourself upright.
To keep faith alive, realize it withers, like all things. And from the wellspring of your being, you must stay ahead. First thing in the morning, what stories and feelings prevail?
Honestly, my tendency slants negatively. I lean in that direction – always have. I wish I didn’t, but I feel it more than I care to admit. I always need a little “push.” I’m never thrilled to go to the gym, either, but if I overcome the negativity first thing in the morning, atrophy is easier to keep at bay.
Overcoming negativity is not a breeze. Neither is any other refined skill. Anything worth having requires staying sharp, but no one gets to stop practicing.
Positivity is practiced through daily steps.
The gravity of the backslide can be fierce. But few know of the glorious lift of faith, practiced and “stepped up,” daily.
The negativity slant seems too steep. I get it.
But you mustn’t give up.