Positive Thinking is Not Waiting for Good Stuff to Happen
I no longer hold the view that thinking positive thoughts mean that I’m entitled to a steady stream of “manna from heaven”. I’ve also found that trying too hard to make myself feel positive can be harmful to me. Positive thinking is becoming more about who I am rather than something I’m trying to force myself to do. By developing a more open relationship to my environment I’m able to let go of beliefs that held me back, I’m clearing the way for a more positive outlook on life. Of course this does not mean that it is all plain sailing, but it does mean that I’m better able to see the good in life even on an otherwise shitty day.
Positive Thinking is Energy
I like to think of positive thinking as a type of energy. It is a force inside that allows me to do the things I need to do in order to find success in life. It is not about lying in bed and waiting for luck to come knocking my door down, it is about getting out of bed each morning with the determination to get something done. This positivity is the exact opposite of the negative energy that wants to pull me down and keep me down. I can now see that this negative energy from self limiting beliefs and self hate.
The positive thinking that benefits my life does not involve waiting for good things to happen to me. I do believe that things will always work out of the best, but this does not mean that they will work out the way that I want them to work out. For me “things working out for the best” means “working out the way they should” – the only way they can work out. By being positive it means that I will be able to make the most of what lies ahead. It means that I’ll be doing the right things so that if manna does start to fall from heaven I’ll be there to catch it. I don’t need the universe to give me what I want – I just need my positive outlook so I can make the best of what I have.
Got to play the card dealt I guess
I fully agree with you there Tom.
Hi Paul. I really enjoyed this post a lot. It’s a very healthy and wise approach to everyday life. It’s easy for a lot of us I think to get sort of lost in a lot of the self-help resources and approaches that are out there, but I continue to find your thoughts very valuable, and ones that gel very well with where I am now. I think it really does come down to the basics in the end – attitude change, thinking patterns, etc. It is hard work, but I’ve definitely noticed how having this self-awareness can be a very strong tool in my own battles with depression and anxiety.
Its interesting, many months ago I had an opportunity to interview a hospital chaplain who worked with the very ill for a work project. He said something that struck me as being very poignant about his work, which is the importance of working with people to help them transition from an existence of dwelling on pain or loss they have experienced (keep in mind he is working with a lot of people who have serious illnesses, cancer, or nearing the end of their lives, etc.), to an existence where they can manage and accept their disappointments while maintaining some positive meaning to life.
It’s sort of a downer of a statement, and obviously has a lot of direct applicability to his profession and the individuals he works with, but the point I got out of it was the importance to anyone of having some positive mental and emotional orientation in our lives. It can really make all the difference in the world between living life feeling like a walking dead man (I’ve felt like that before) and being a happy and resilient person looking forward to the future.
Man, I need to catch up with your posts! Its cool to see you being so active recently, and thinking through them and writing responses is also helpful for me. Thanks again. I’ve been meaning to reply to your “People move to Thailand” post for a while now but haven’t found the time.
Thanks Tan, what the chaplain says makes a good deal of sense. I think it is dangerous for me to tie my positivity too much with getting what I want. I suppose it is more about a relationship with life. I’ve worked a fair amount in palliative care, so I know how tricky the end of life stage can be for people. It can be the hardest test we ever face, and those who hang on to a positive outlook seem to manage things much better.
I’m posting every day at the moment, and I do hope that I’m not wearing people out. It is a case of making hay while the sun shines:)