The Power of Positive Thinking

Often, when someone is worried or anxious about something, a friend will tell them to be ‘positive’. While this may just seem like something nice to say to help someone feel better, positive thinking can actually help to change the direction of your entire life.

“Every thought we think is creating our future.”

Louise L. Hay

Now, do not confuse “positive thinking” with ignoring things that are unpleasant or ignoring your problems because you think that solutions will simply fall onto your lap. Making things happen in your life requires work, and positive thinking is the first step on any journey to get what you want out of life.

Learning to think positively begins with using positive self-talk. “Self-talk” is what you tell yourself about your life, your personality and everything else about you. People who think positively, are much more likely to get what they want out of life than people who think negatively. This is because thinking in a negative way is a self-defeating practice. If you think you will fail then chances are that you will. This is what is called a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, if you wake up tomorrow morning and say to yourself “It’s Monday, it is raining and I have a test to take in Math class. This is going to be a horrible day!” If you wake up thinking that you will have a bad day then your day will indeed be a bad one. However, if you wake up thinking “Great, it’s Monday, the start of a new week! It is raining so I get more time in study hall so I can ace my Math test!”, then you will likely have a good day because you told yourself that you would! If this sounds too simple it is because it is simple! If you want positive results then you must think positive.

This is not to say that things will always turn out the way you want them to, but, if you have developed the skill of positive thinking, it will not be such a crushing blow when things do not go your way. Positive thinking also has many other benefits such as lowering the chance of becoming depressed, building resistance to physical and mental illness and having a longer life expectancy.

If you can develop your positive thinking skills at a young age, as an adult you will be better able to cope with stress and other hardships that you may have to face as a worker, a spouse or a parent. So, think positive so you can enjoy your life with a new outlook on the world!