Why Positive Thinking Works - 8/4/2008

Often I hear uniformed people say things like, “Positive thinking is fine, but it does not reflect reality.  It’s too “Pollyanna.”  Ouch – nothing could be further from the truth, but that’s how some people really feel.

My thinking is that while this may be a common accusation it is dangerously naďve and harmful. If 90% of what we worry about never happens, how is negativity more realistic than being in possession of a positive mental attitude? The fact is that what is indeed realistic is up to us, depending upon how we shape our own thoughts.

A positive mindset will not save you from bad news, but your reactions to bad news are under your control.  Remember, it is not how you act that determines how successful you will be, it is how you react, especially to bad news, that determines who you are.

When someone says something that jolts you or hurts your feelings in some way, you can either select to react and feel badly about yourself or you can say aloud or to yourself that, “That is simply your opinion.”  A self-explanatory example could be when someone says something unkind or cruel to you, like “I don’t like that shirt you are wearing,” you can feel bad and go and change your shirt, allowing someone on the outside to determine how you feel on the inside – or you can smile with confidence and a positive attitude and say, “That is simply your opinion!

Positive thinking works – but only when repeated and reviewed with regularity (RRR) – and it must be practiced all the time.  This is not trite; it is in fact, what makes the difference between people and the results they get in life.

And, I am not just speaking about simple and silly things like the shirt example we just reviewed, I am speaking about serious issues as well -- like when someone gets cancer.  I am thoroughly convinced that positive thinking makes all the difference in the world with regard to the recovery rate.  At least, that was my own experience.

Every day needs to start off in a positive way or with a preplanned program of daily positive input.  It can be a simple positive statement or a one line affirmation, but it MUST happen everyday, immediately after you open your eyes.

It amazes me that most of the people who are stuck-in-their-stuff seem to feel that a program of daily positive energizing is optional – but they are wrong.

Success is NOT optional – it should be a mandatory study undertaken by all human beings who are serious about making their lives better. 

Your brain REQUIRES constant positive input – just like a plant requires constant water and nourishment.  You need to build a collection of inspirational books and tapes and read or play them daily.  The effect will probably be greater than you think possible, both on yourself and on the world you inhabit.

Positive thinking is the catalyst that causes you to shift and to replace some of the stinkin’ thinkin’ that has been embedded in your subconscious mind over the years.

Simply put, I want you to stop thinking and talking negatively for it cannot help you in any way. And while you are at it, stop putting your self-down, stop complaining at any cost, stop associating with anyone who does not make you feel better about yourself, stop giving others permission to keep you from being great, stop being timid, stop whining and instead go the opposite way.

Remember – your mind reacts to what it is fed, whether it is true of false.  Make it true, make it positive, make it magnetic and energetic and allow your positive thinking to create your new reality.

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