Positive Thinking Is NOT the Answer—Here’s What Is

We’ve all heard it before: “Just think positive!”

When life throws challenges your way, when things aren’t going as planned, the advice is almost always the same—focus on the good, look for the silver lining, repeat affirmations, and keep your mindset “high vibe.”

But what if I told you that positive thinking isn’t the answer?

Because here’s the real truth: You don’t transform your life by forcing happy thoughts. You transform it by realizing who is doing the thinking in the first place.

What do I mean? I'll try not to get too woo-woo on you!

The Trap of Positive Thinking

At first glance, positive thinking seems like the key to a better life. After all, focusing on the good feels a whole lot better than focusing on the bad, right?

And yes, it actually does—for a while.

But here’s the problem:

• If you’re constantly trying to replace “bad” thoughts with “good” ones, you’re still stuck in the same mental loop.
• If you rely on positive thinking to feel okay, then you’re at the mercy of your thoughts—which means they still control you.
• If you believe you must always be positive, then what happens when real challenges arise? Does that mean you’ve failed?

What most people don’t realize is that positive thinking and negative thinking are two sides of the same coin.

You’re still playing the same game—just trying to make it look nicer. Calling a cat a lion doesn’t make it roar.

The Real Breakthrough: Who’s Holding the Pen?

Instead of constantly trying to manage your thoughts, what if you stepped back and asked:

• Who is thinking these thoughts?
• Where do my thoughts even come from?
• What happens if I stop believing every thought I have?

Imagine your mind is like a magic pen, constantly writing the story of your life. If you’re unaware of this, you’ll assume the story is writing itself—that your thoughts and emotions are automatic, happening to you.

But when you step back, you realize you’re the one holding the pen.

And once you see that, you’re no longer trapped by the need to control every thought.

Instead of obsessing over whether your thoughts are positive or negative, you recognize that you are the observer of thought, not the thought itself. - YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS!

How to Shift Into True Freedom

So if positive thinking isn’t the answer, what is?

Step 1: See the Game for What It Is Recognize that both positive and negative thoughts are just patterns—mental habits that don’t define you.

tep 2: Stop Trying to ‘Fix’ Your Thinking Rather than wrestling with your thoughts, notice them. When an unhelpful thought arises, instead of trying to change it, simply acknowledge: “Ah, there’s that old story again.”

Step 3: Shift from Controlling to Observing The more you step into the role of the observer, the less power your thoughts have over you. You don’t need to fight them or replace them—you simply stop attaching to them.

Step 4: Live from the Space Beyond Thought This is where the real transformation happens. When you no longer believe every thought your mind throws at you, you open up space for clarity, creativity, and genuine peace.

Why This Mindset Shift Matters

If you don’t realize you’re holding the pen, life feels like a constant battle—trying to force good thoughts, avoid bad ones, and stay in control.

But when you recognize that you are the thinker, not the thought, you step into something far greater than positive thinking: mental freedom.

This is what it means to thrive—to live from the awareness that your thoughts are just passing clouds, and you are the sky.

So the question isn’t, How do I think more positive thoughts?

The real question is: Who is doing the thinking?

#Mindset #SelfLeadership #ConsciousCreation #EmotionalIntelligence