By Raymond Caldwell
Are you an OPTIMIST or a PESSIMIST?
Many good books have been written on the power and benefits of positive thinking. We can have a tendency to think either positively or negatively. It is similar to the magnetic field of Planet Earth with north and south poles, or the negative and positive forces of a magnet.
How are you polarised? Which pole are you attracted to? Positive or negative? (There is also attraction and repulsion, but that is another subject.)
Of course, we should choose to think positively. Positive thinking opens up possibilities we hadn't thought of before, whereas negative thinking closes down possibilities and opportunities. Positive thinking opens the mind to solutions to puzzles and insights to resolve difficult problems.
A really winning cocktail
Optimism is the belief that life will work out well, pessimism is defeatist thinking and the tendency to give up all hope of success before starting an undertaking.
Therefore it makes good sense to be a POSITIVE-THINKING OPTIMIST! (Mix positive thinking and optimism with faith and hope for a really winning cocktail!)
How are the thoughts running through your mind polarised? As we tend to act upon what we think someone with insight wrote:
'Sow a thought and reap an action;
sow an action and reap a habit;
sow a habit and reap a character;
sow a character and reap a destiny'.*
This is so very true. The cause of what we do and what we become (the effect) is in our thoughts. So, think happy, hopeful and cheerful thoughts!
Reprogramming our minds
There are scientifically established methods for reprogramming our minds to think positively. Focus on words that create positive mental energy and paint pictures in your mind of who you want to become, where you want to live and what you want to do. Make them positive, optimistic, colourful and sunny! Have faith that things will improve, work out well and that life will get better!
Some word examples might be:
wholesome; winning; successful; healthy; hydrate; kindness; respect; obedient; go-getter, proactive; faith; etc.
Make your own list. The secret is to refer to these words regularly in order to burn them into your mind and memory.
This can be done by writing the words on little cards or into a little pocket notebook which you carry with you, open and read regularly.
You roll the words around your mind and at the same time you can create your own positive mantras such as:
'I have faith in God and myself';
'The world is waiting for my good ideas and talent';
'I eat only the best quality food';
I am deeply grateful for the least and every good thing in my life right now'.
Tailor-make your own positive mantras to suit yourself. The idea is that, by bringing all these positive words and pictures into your conscious mind, you will DISPLACE the old worn-out negative ones that got you nowhere except to "Frustration".
James Lee Valentine has embraced this idea and created books on words alone. It is worth noting here that Charles Capps also has written many tracts on the inherent transforming power of words. Here are just a few words from the start of James Lee Valentine's little book called 101 Power Qualities:
Honesty - I have honesty
Determined - I am determined
Enthusiasm - I have enthusiasm
Resourceful - I am resourceful
Focused - I am focused
Committed - I am committed
Effective - I am effective
Do you get the idea?
Norman Vincent Peale has written books on positive thinking and character-building through faith in God, yourself and your country. (He is, like Charles Capps, a Christian writer).
The biblical dimension
In the Bible, the Apostle Paul demanded the "renewal of the mind", that is the adjusting of our thoughts and thinking to the new reality of Jesus Christ: the hope of heaven and salvation of our souls; setting our hopes on heavenly assurances.
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So, positive thinking is something quite similar to, (but falls short of) Paul's "renewal of the mind". However, positive thinking is, in effect, a mental cleansing or a mental house-cleaning and a "renewal of the mind" if you are new to it.
Another aspect of positive or "correct" thinking is its "higher-frequency" - as it is thinking charged with hope, joy, exultation and happiness.
Negative thoughts or 'stinking thinking'
The opposite is what James Lee Valentine calls STINKING-THINKING (although I'm not sure if he actually coined that phrase).
Stinking-thinking is self-defeating, delusional thinking. Stinking-thinking is holding low opinions about yourself and having little or no faith in God and the world in which we live (and God created) to support our hopes and desires.
These are "low-frequency" heavy thoughts, such as: "I am a piece of crap". NO!!! Rather: "I have an incredibly and wonderfully created body and I am privileged because I am human and have a human spirit to choose wisely and shape my own destiny!"
Or as James Lee Valentine might say:
'I am amazing!'
And as the Desiderata says:
'With all its shams, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.'
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* Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
7 comments:
Feeling positive simply by the power of your own thoughts certainly beats negativity
Thanks for your comment!
Thank you Ray. That is something we all need to be reminded of regularly. It can definitely help where the problems are caused by our own attitudes. But I think it may be a lot harder where the negative feelings are a direct result of actions by others, over which we have no control.
Yes, we can try to change our response to anything, but that physical feeling of dread in the pit of the stomach is not so easy to dispel by positive words and I wonder if the effort can actually increase stress and pressure?
That's very good of you to interact. You speak the truth. I can't preach. Only tell you that I surrendered to the Christian faith after a "sinful" youth. I committed to a church because there was a properly functioning church in my home town. With the proper support, I got healed of much of the damage that had triggered my antisocial behavior. That is not the same as what you are relating, but with the proper support, setbacks can be surmounted. I remember a turning point for me was when a seminar organization came to our church and offered a free seminar. It was called "How To Help a Friend". The pivotal moment was the section titled "Turn Your Setbacks Into Springboards". It really spoke to me. I mean the idea may have been that all the negative experiences would be really useful in helping others. There is a way through and out of the pain if you can find it. I wish you great success.
Sorry, that September 18, 2024 at 7:37 PM was from Raymond.
Thanks so much for that Ray. People's personal experiences and examples are so much more helpful than theories. . I rather like the Anonymous function here- it would be nice if it encouraged more people to speak personally.
Churches also changed me, so I don't want them to die.
I also hope it does. Rawness if fine. People need to speak out. People need a sense of belonging, of feeling connected, a community where they can be heard, validated and find support and direction. Thanks for saying what you think!
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