Thinking – The Positive way.

“2% of people think, 3% of people think they think and 95% would rather die than think” – George Bernard Shaw

Over many years, we have been programmed what to think, even when to think it, rather than howto think or why to think.

That has led to a lot of ‘discussions’, miscommunications, and frustrations, especially at the workplace, when Leaders and managers get frustrated that their employees don’t do anything unless they have been told to do so. Couple this with another part of programming that, making mistakes is not an option and those fears and frustrations are real….on both sides.

Many people mistake mental activity for thinking which is totally different….a bit like being busy instead of being productive….how often have we been guilty of that ourselves?

We are often so busy doing that we often forget the being part of Human Being. This talks very much into mindfulness as well, which I referred to several days ago. 

There is a lot of information available about this intriguing subject of thinking; Even entire books have been dedicated to it, especially to positive thinking.

So many people will never pick up a book these days, never mind one of those ‘mumbo jumbo’ ones in the personal development section, as they have been programmed for a prolonged period of time to follow certain thoughts, ideas, and processes. 

Some people snigger at others who engage in reading personal growth books or even ridicule them… I know as I have been at the end of that when I decided more than 30 years ago to no longer spend money on newspapers and, instead, invest in my personal growth, which involved many books and CDs. My colleagues talked about those books lying on the table at our place of work in between their many tabloid newspapers, especially in my absence …

We are what we continuously think about talks very much into mindpower and the power of attraction. So what are YOU thinking about? What occupies that space in your head mostly on any given day?

“If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking” – Benjamin Franklin

A great example is the times we live in right now and the divisions this causes between family members, friends, and colleagues. 

Is this caused by our need to be right, we think we are right, or we just don’t want to gather information from different sources, discuss with respect, then, if we do not agree…which is absolutely fine, just leave it at that?

Is that also why people start to only be part of groups that think like them?

What would happen if we actually spend more time thinking, thinking for ourselves? ...and when we do so before answering others in haste, sometimes with dire consequences, how much better would our relationships become?

How much would the quality of our lives increase if we not only started to think more, but also started to think more positively?

“Thinking is so difficult, that’s why most people judge.”

Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. 

Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.

Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills…if you choose to!

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

Health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. In certain hospitals, entire wards are dedicated to positivity and optimism. They show comedy on tv screens, have upbeat colours on the walls, positive reading material and cheery staff. This has shown to help the healing process of patients tremendously!  There are also recommendations that, if you have to go into a serious operation, you only do so when you have a more positive state of mind.

Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common col
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.

It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Don’t just start to think, but also start to think more positively as I hope you have now seen how it can impact your health in an amazing way.

Here is also the link to my video about this article: https://youtu.be/XMI_eOROC7Y

Jan Robberts