What is “positive thinking”?
Is it really good for anything?
How can you think positively with all the disasters that happen every day…?
Enough with these mental coaches who obsessively repeat “come on, you can do it!”.
Ok, wait a sec! First things first. Let’s start by saying that “positive thinking” doesn’t mean hopping around with stuffed animals in your arms and ignoring bad things. This clarification may seem trivial, but in reality the concept of positive thinking is often misunderstood. Being positive doesn’t mean being superficial or pretending that problems don’t exist, much less being immune from negative moments. Just as it is not enough to visualize one’s bright future, perhaps by repeating some magic formula, to make it materialize out of nowhere.
Positive thinking simply means choosing healthier “food” to feed the mind. It works the same as it does for the body: if you eat well and choose wholesome and nutritious foods, even if this does not guarantee you to live until you are 120 years old, for as long as you live, in all likelihood you will live better, your body will function better and you will feel healthy. If, on the other hand, you fill yourself with junk food every day without caring about your fitness and your health, you will likely feel weighed down, not in the best shape and the disorders resulting from your poor diet will sooner or later appear. Here, it’s the exact same thing: if you feed your mind with beautiful and constructive thoughts, you will be more energetic and will draw on more resources to face life’s challenges. If, on the other hand, you choose to “stuff” your brain with pessimism and negativity, you will often feel sad, unmotivated and, in the long run, you will become weaker inside.
That’s the main point: positive thinking strengthens character.
After all, it’s easy to complain all the time by blaming the sky (or the horoscope, bad luck, the boss, colleagues, parents and dark forces) or looking for excuses for not taking on one’s responsibilities. We have all done it more or less at some stage in life. But what good is it in the end? Correct: absolutely nothing! Self-pity is a trap and slows down our realization because it makes us dwell exclusively on problems. On the contrary, a positive attitude pushes us to dwell on solution rather than problems.
There are hundreds of evidence-based results confirming the positive effects of positive thinking: numerous professionals, institutions and universities have in fact conducted research on this subject, from Berkley University to the Kellogg School of Management, from King’s College to Yale University.
I was particularly struck by the studies of Barbara L. Fredrickson, Professor at the University of North Carolina and founder, along with Martin Seligman, of positive psychology. According to Professor Fredrickson, while negative emotions somehow impair the brain’s ability to find creative solutions and to consider all available options, positive emotions improve creativity and our decision-making processes. Furthermore, positive emotions increase one’s resilience, that is, the ability to overcome a difficult moment. What matters in this sense is not so much the intensity of positive emotions, but their frequency.
That is why it is essential to develop a positive attitude in everyday life. A single happy event, a trip to the most beautiful place in the world or the achievement of a goal, are therefore not enough. What changes your life is building a positive attitude.
How do you do? Simple: with training and daily exercises. Let me suggest you some:
- Make a list of the things you are grateful for and add one each morning.
- Before going to sleep, think about something beautiful that happened during the day.
- Don’t give your time to energy vampires. (You can learn more here: Beware of the energy vampires!).
- Learn to be (yes, you can learn it) a pleasant person.
- When in a new place, make an effort to identify at least 3 things you like.
- Get moving (find a sport you’re passionate about, dance or just walk more).
- Read many – many – self help books(I will suggest you some).
- Eat healthier and drink lots of water.
- Spend time taking care of your body.
- Search for your personal sources of positivity.
Be consistent and you will see the huge difference these little habits will make in your life! Day after day you will feel yourself different and the people around you will start to notice it too.
Remember that being a positive person is one of the smartest choices you can ever make. The moment you decide to change your way of seeing things, those same things will change…
♥
“If you can change your mind, you can change your life”.
William James
