The power of positive thinking

I used to dread Mondays. It was a very visceral response to the anxiety and stress I was feeling contemplating the workload I would face during the coming week. The feelings were so intense that they were beginning to impact my Sundays and the quality time I cherished with my family. That was the worst part. I knew I needed to find a solution, knowing that Mondays would always be the beginning of the work week and that I would wake up that day to a full plate of responsibilities.

I don’t dread Mondays anymore. While it’s not my favorite day of the week, I now approach it with the same positive mindset I bring to every other day. I feel prepared and fully capable of taking on almost every challenge and turning it into an opportunity. It’s a healthy approach that allows me more time and space to breathe easily, and from breath comes energy and focus, the very elements I need to succeed at whatever tasks lie ahead.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale authored the first edition of The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952, long before many of us were born. Yet, the lessons in the book remain incredibly relevant today, perhaps even more so! The information revolution has hastened the speed at which we think, work, and interact, intensifying pressures and compressing deadlines, making it all the more crucial to maintain a positive outlook. When those pressures begin to overwhelm me, I remind myself to slow down, look at the beauty that surrounds me, appreciate my family, my job, and my amazing colleagues, and visualize success. The stress lifts, I can relax a bit, and I feel more in control.

Everyone feels anxiety and stress in their work and their lives, but we must recognize that we can control how we react to it. We can either scream and lay blame when things go wrong, or we can embrace these moments as learning experiences and move forward with a smile.

Mondays aren’t so bad anymore. They’re the beginning of what could be the best week yet.