All day, every day, our minds are filled with thoughts. The connection between our thoughts and our reality is stronger than you may know or even realize. These thoughts truly do shape our reality. Our subconscious mind is infinitely powerful, and it is key that the majority of thoughts we have are positive, centered ones, so that our reality can sync up with our thinking.
Everyone has days when they feel down or challenged beyond being able to overcome whatever is on their proverbial plate. This is where choice comes into play. You may be having thoughts that are negative or unconstructive, but if you choose to immediately release them and make a habit of this mental exercise, you will find that no matter what the circumstances you have them less and less. When you find yourself trapped in a negative thought pattern, stop and ask yourself, ‘is this a productive thought?’ Replace it with a thought that does you good, such as being grateful for someone or something in your life or sending a good wish for a friend or family member.
As you get into the habit of seeing the glass as half full, you will notice the positive effects on your life in many ways. When you are a positive thinker you have a more motivated attitude about everything. You can look at most any situation and find a way that you can make a positive impact. You will find that when you constantly flex your positive thinking muscle people are drawn to you and want to help you succeed at whatever your goals might be. You’ll also be a more powerful and influential leader when you adopt an attitude of positive thinking for life. People will respect you more because of your ability to draw out the good aspects of any situation and they are there if you choose to look for them. (There’s the concept of choice again.) An attitude of positive thinking offers you greater self esteem, too, as it gives you the internal confidence to face whatever comes your way with peace of mind and a strong resolve.
You’ll find that you are more creative when you have a positive attitude, as you’ll view life as a series of possibilities instead of full of limitations. Any creative endeavor benefits greatly from excitement and ‘think out of the box’ visionary possibilities, which is an automatic by product of seeing life with a glass half full type of mentality. Positive thinkers are much more likely to try new things and meet new people, while avoiding the ruts that can easily accompany people who choose to constantly focus on what is wrong with their lives or the world in general.
We all know by know that health is everything, and positive thinking can help keep you sound in both mind and body. Stress, often caused by our thoughts alone, can wreck havoc on our physical body as well as our mental, emotional and psychological state. Debbie Mandel, MA, author of the book Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life, says that stress causes inflammation, a main cause of disease and that positive thinking can greatly aid in stress reduction.
Like any other habit, it takes constant work to get your mindset adapted to the positive thinking thought pattern. But any work you put into making this a lifestyle will certainly be returned to you in the improvement of your health, relationships and your overall attitude in general. I was lucky to be introduced to positive thinking at a young age and it has benefitted me greatly throughout my life. I now serve as the go to positive thinker for my group of friends and many of them have adopted the practice in their own lives, with successful results.
