Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Positive Versus Negative Thinking

There are two ways to think. I am writing this because I was trapped in negative thinking this morning. Positive thinking is a better way to think during a lifetime. It works better for me at least. I will speak for myself here. I know that I could think positively all the time. Why don't I, and why don't other people? I cannot answer this question. Of course bad things happen. If someone close to me gets hurt or dies, of course I can and will feel sad. But, I can choose the way I think about it. I can either think of reasons this terrible thing happened. Or, I can be thankful I can help out, or if death occurs, be grateful for the time I did have with that person. The idea that we have the power to choose the way we think, is the key to defeating negative thinking. Both types of thinking have very different affects on how we live our lives. They affect how we feel, how we treat ourselves and others, our performance in work and school, how we see ourselves, and how others see us. All of the things I just mentioned apply to animals too. If you are thinking negatively, do not go into the forest where the big bad wolf is. Watch out. The way we choose to think is so important. Negative thinking equals waste of time, plus it makes other people turn the corner really fast. If I start ranting about something negative, people literally do not want any part of it. Whereas, if I am talking about the good things in life, people want to hear more about it. I have no great wisdom to give on any of this stuff. I know that if I am thinking negatively I can change it. Also, doing something positive for myself, or for someone else is helpful too. When I am in a negative state, life goes by and that time has been wasted. I am basing this post on my own experiences and observations. Let me close by giving an example. If I think about how terribly a date is going to go, it is a complete waste. Answer the following questions about how negative thinking serves as a distraction. How does it make me feel? How does it affect my ability to listen, be curious and stay in the moment? Finally, is it fair or helpful to the other person? Answers are, like crap, it messes it up, and no. Let's reverse that. If I am eager to meet a new person, and looking forward to having fun and using my assets such as sense of humor, it makes me feel empowered, I can listen and be present, and it is awesome for the other person. Even if a situation does not go well, thinking positive is always the better way to think.

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