I recently came across this quote and it got me thinking about positive thinking. This is something we all have heard from people around us when we are in distress – “Think positive, all will be fine”. And, let me tell you, it is the most comforting.
But why are we tricked into thinking that positive thinking will help us sail through? Is it because we have heard it right from the start or does it actually work?
Actually, positive thinking is a mental attitude, it is a state of mind in which one expects favourable and good results. This attitude or belief system helps one to always look at the brighter side of a given situation. It makes it easier for us to find solutions for our problems rather that thinking about the negatives. It blurs out the discouraging thoughts.
Upon reading more about this topic, which I found to be really intriguing, I found out that research has shown that a positive outlook does actually improve our real value in life. It helps in skill building and also impacts our health and work.
Ok. Agreed. But how about someone who does not have a habit of thinking positive? How to inculcate this habit?
I think this a gradual process. All of a sudden, a person can not alter his way of thinking. It’s not like one day you wake up and everything starts appearing perfect. We all have problems in life, however big or small. But owing to human tendency, we find only our problems to be weighty. We feel that other people are having a smooth sailing. Hence, the grass is always greener on the other side.
But here is where the hopefulness or optimism comes into play. When one starts thinking positive, one starts realising that the crucial part is not to crib over what went wrong or what could have been better, but it is about what one can do in the current scenario and make the most out of it. It helps us understand that things can be better and that things will be better if we work towards them.
But hey ! have you ever thought how this can have a disadvantageous impact?
Positive thinking is good, no doubt. What happens when one starts painting too rosy a picture? Infact, continually thinking that everything is great creates a false sense of security. Delusion creates a world of misconceptions and falsehood. It creates a place where we see only what we want to see. The key is in identifying the fine line between positive thinking and delusion.
It’s always better to be realistic and have a considerably positive outlook towards things and life in general that be impractical because there will always be things that will not come our way, but it is we who have to make our way through and make the most out of it!
thefreebirdie 