Why Positive Thinking?

Positive thinking is the concept that having positive thoughts can bring about change in your life. This may sound too simple and unrealistic to some people think no good can come of such practice no matter how hard we try. So it looks like an effort in futility. They wonder how mere thoughts can affect the ugly reality we face every day of our lives. However, positive thinking actually works as shown by some scientific research. You cannot change the world but you can change the way you view the world, and how you respond to things that come your way. Doing this gives you a different perspective about yourself and the people you meet daily.

Effect of Positive Thinking

To appreciate the power of positive thinking, let’s first of all look at the effect of negative thinking. Negative emotions like fear and anger help us to survive harsh and threatening situations. We take rapid action when confronted with dangers. Negative thinking is a great hindrance when viewed from modern perspective. If we keep avoiding unfavorable circumstances, we may never get anything done. We can’t just shut our eyes and expect ugly situations to vanish out of sight when we are supposed to tackle them. No one dare look the other way when real danger lurks behind. Just like any other habit, negative thinking is born out of practice and acceptance of negative ideas. Constant negative thoughts will always sap our energy, take away the fun in our lives and lead us to depression.

The Power of Positive Thinking

A researcher at the University of North Carolina, Barbara Fredrickson, conducted an experiment to show how people are affected by the kind of emotions they allow. She gathered some people and divided them into five groups. Then she placed different images before them to induce specific emotions. Group 1 watched images that triggered joy, group 2 of contentment, while group 3 got neutral images. Groups 4 and 5 had images of fear and anger.

The five groups recorded what their decisions would be if faced with exact challenge in life. Surprisingly, group 4 and 5 recorded few possible actions, while group 1 and 2 had a list of many actions they would take in similar situations. This experiment supports the claim that positive emotions help generate useful ideas and several options to choose from in life. In many cases, these ideas are translated into actions. Positive thinkers go through life fully ready to face and overcome challenges.

Positive Thinking Practice: The Placebo Effect

Manufacturers of new drugs often experiment before pushing their products into the market. This is usually done by experimenting using two groups of people. The first group receives the real drug, while the second group is administered placebo which comes in the form of sugar pills or sweetened water. The striking result is that the group which thought it received the real treatment recovered fully, while the group which did not consider the drug effective, saw no significant change in their body. This simple test has been used to determine the effect of drugs in many instances.

Two lessons can be derived from the placebo effect. One, drug manufacturers must produce drugs that go beyond the placebo effect to have the real cure for illness. Two, the mind has great power which, when channeled properly, can help patients recover quickly and fully. Though positive thinking does not cure any illness on its own, it can help the person manage prevailing physical or mental condition.

Wrong Use of Positive Thinking

Some may think that the purpose of positive thinking is to try to escape unpleasant circumstances of life. They forget that bad things are part of life and some cannot be stopped from happening. Trying to force out positive thinking in the face of ugly situations is a waste of time and energy. The expected response is to have an attitude that everything will come out fine at the end. You keep telling yourself and thinking that you are not done yet with life. You believe that tomorrow holds better things for you.

Developing the Habit of Positive Thinking

Having a positive attitude doesn’t just happen. There are principles and exercises one must engage in to develop and make positive thinking a part of life and towards all things that happen. You must first have in mind the kind of mood you want to create before engaging in the practice of positive thinking. For instance, if you consider positive thinking as happiness or joy, then this forms the goal of your practice. The same goes for success or peace of mind.

You should be definite and specific in your practice of positive thinking in order to bring about the desired result. Based on research, you can develop positive thinking in three major ways.

• Meditation

The practice of meditation has a positive effect on people. People who create time for meditation each day show signs of positive thinking more than those who do not practice the art. They are lively and have positive attitude towards things people and things. Why meditation holds such benefits is still shrouded in mystery. Yet it helps people enjoy their everyday life.

• Writing

Writing about your daily positive experience can help brighten your day and lighten your mood. When a group of university students were subjected to write about their positive experience, the results were remarkable. They experienced positive improvement in their mood and physical and mental health for a fairly long time. You can practice this by keeping a diary or writing articles about all your positive experiences.

• Play

Having fun is an important way to develop positive thinking. With the busy schedule associated with the jet age, we tend to lose sight of observing leisure time and adding play to our weekly activities. To build positive thinking you may need to consciously move yourself from work to play. It can take the form of cycling, walking or visiting exciting places with a friend.

Gregg Swanson is a peak performance consultant and human potential coach and has authored several books and numerous articles on peak performance. Gregg specializes in developing mental strength in individuals that desire to reach their full potential. He has developed a unique online training program “Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior.” You can also pick up your free eBook,” Why Change is So Hard” by going HERE.