The power of positive thinking in your life
Positive thinking gets a bad rap these days. You may have heard it said that this type of thinking does not help because it is just thought and does not do anything tangible. You may also have heard that this mindset is just a passing fad and that it only makes you “feel good” but doesn’t really help. You may have even heard that it actually works against you because it is not based on reality and distracts you from what you should be doing.
While all of the things mentioned above may have a grain of truth, the fuller truth is that a positive attitude is essential to making any changes in your life. Let me explain. Everything in our lives is made of thought.
Everything. Now, I am not saying that the tangible universe does not exist. If you stub your toe on the leg of a chair at two in the morning when you get up for a glass of water, you’re probably sure the chair exists, right? But our experience of the world and the universe is made up entirely of our thinking about it. In other words, the only way we can experience something is through our thinking.
Do you see what I mean here? The world may be “out there”, but our experience of the world is “here.” The world we experience is completely our thoughts in the moment. Our experience of the world is subjective. That doesn’t mean you can have positive thoughts and nothing bad will ever happen to you. I can almost guarantee that the happiest person in the world will continue to rain if he is in Edinburgh, Scotland, in November. But here is the key point, how you feel about the rain, how you experience it internally, it depends on your way of thinking.
Look at the points I am making from another angle. If you have an event of any kind, a person who has negative thoughts consistently as their way of being in life will have a very different experience than a person who has positive thoughts consistently. I am not advocating a “Pollyanna” “Everything is roses” attitude as the roof of your house is falling in a hurricane, but I am saying that you may want to consider how your basic thoughts change the way you feel or experience everything. In other words, pay attention to what’s underneath whatever feelings you have. After all, some psychologists believe that all emotion arises from thoughts, whether we are aware of the thoughts or not.
Obviously, “positive thinking” can mean different things to different people. This is not a unique world we live in. We are all unique in our experiences, that is why some people are formed with a more or less positive way of seeing the world, and others are formed with a more negative vision. I’m not saying that either way is bad, just that they are different ways of experiencing what is “out there” in the world.
Here’s a concept that may seem radical to some: Your mindset is a skill that can be changed with effort. That means if for any reason you are unhappy with the way you think, experience the world, or feel, you can work to change the way you think and experience the world. In some cases, this can be as simple as realizing that thinking is important and that you have control over the way you think. In other cases, you may have to make constant effort and self-reflection to understand the way you are thinking because a lot of thinking is automatic and we are not even aware of our thoughts.
So what can you do right now?
– Be aware of your thinking and use your feelings as a guide. When you have a feeling, pause and consider what thought is underneath the feeling. Where he came from?
– Once you find the underlying thought that is underneath the feeling, ask yourself if the thought is really valid. If not, wait for him to think better of it. Yes, wait, because a different thought will come along that is probably more valid, and when it does, focus on that one.
– Consciously practice having positive thoughts. The simplest way to do this is not to try to push out negative thoughts, but to focus on the positive things and consider all the things in your life that you are grateful for and the people or experiences that you have had that are positive.
– Spend more time doing things that make you happy and bring you joy.
Shifting your mindset to a more positive trajectory is not impossible, it just requires an awareness that it can be done and a little effort. The key point is that living life from a more positive orientation gives you the energy to make positive changes in your relationships, your health, and your work. Don’t discount the benefits of being more positive until you give it a try.
There are numerous research studies showing that people with a positive attitude are healthier and happier. Makes sense when you think about it. If you are positive, you are more likely to make positive changes in your life. Their relationships are generally more positive and their social network is stronger.
The little things add up when you make changes that move your life in a positive direction.
It is not necessary to change everything overnight. Do a little thing and then continue from there. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip back into a negative mindset from time to time. We all do it, the key is to get back up and start over,
Eventually, small changes will occur and your outlook on life may change. Positive thinking can make amazing changes in the way you experience life. Why not give it a try.
