Even in war, one can think of peace. Even during disasters one can see light and seek solace. Positive thinking is being hopeful, and hope brings light and happiness. One can dwell in fear and negativity, but one can also do the best under any circumstances. Prof. VGT on why it’s important to realise that it’s not a matter of fate, but a matter of choice.
Positive thinking is a mental attitude that sees the bright side of life. It is a state of mind that focuses on the full half of the glass and not the empty half.
People with a positive frame of mind think about possibilities, growth, expansion, and success. They expect happiness, health, love and good relationships. They think in terms of ‘I can’, ‘I am able’ and ‘I will succeed’.
Positive thinking people are not daunted by failures and obstacles. If things don’t turn out well or as expected, they will try again.
True positive thinking is not just saying that everything will be okay as just lip service, simultaneously thinking about failure. In order to bring beneficial changes and improvement into your life, positive thinking has to become your predominant mental attitude throughout the day. It has to turn into a way of life.
Real and effective positive thinking requires that you focus on positive thoughts and emotions and take positive action.
How can you develop this state of mind? You can do so by reading inspiring and motivating literature, and through visualization, affirmation, and meditation.
HOW TO THINK POSITIVELY:
- Display a more positive emotional and mental attitude toward yourself, other people and situations.
- Refuse to participate in negative inner dialogues. It’s just a waste of time and energy.
- Don’t allow disappointments, difficulties, and obstacles to affect your moods and state of mind.
- Refuse and reject negative thinking. Either replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts, or engage yourself in some activity that will divert your attention from the negative thoughts.
- Don’t allow what people think and say affect you.
- Associate yourself with people who bring something of value into your life. Avoid people who sap your energy and enthusiasm. If you can’t avoid them, learn how stay detached when you are in their company.
- Say positive things about yourself and about other people.
- Compliment people when you feel they deserve it.
- Have faith in yourself and in your abilities.
Set goals no matter how impossible this might seem now and keep yourself busy working on them.
– Prof. VGT
- Try doing new things, or old things in a new way. Doing things differently will help you be more creative and therefore more positive. Go to a different restaurant, eat different food, change the way you dress, start reading a new book or find a new hobby.
- Read about people who overcame hardships and succeeded in life. This will help you think more positively.
- Set goals no matter how impossible this might seem now and keep yourself busy working on them.
- Each goal accomplished, no matter how small it might be, will bring you more confidence, self-esteem and positive thinking.
- At least once a day, think and come up with more ideas on how to be positive in various situations.
- Be careful what mental images you let into your mind. How you see yourself and your surroundings makes a difference to your thinking. It is like watching a video. Eject the old pen drive and insert a new and better one instead.
- Analyze your behaviour and attitude, and ask yourself why you are repeating the habits or attitudes that you dislike. There is no need to follow old patterns of behaviour that you don’t like or don’t make you any good.
When you learn how to think positively, you gain the key to changing and improving your life.
Set goals no matter how impossible this might seem now and keep yourself busy working on them.
– Prof. VGT
It is easier to keep a positive frame of mind when things go well. It is tougher to do so when in the midst of problems, difficulties or obstacles. In such times you will need more effort, attention and patience. If you learn how to think positively when not under pressure, stress or strain, it will be easier to do so when things are tough.
Although there is so much talk about positive thinking, few really understand what it is. Being positive doesn’t mean ignoring what is happening around you and living within some kind of a “positive bubble”.
You cannot expect someone going through problems or disasters, or living in difficult circumstances, to ignore his/her present condition and start thinking positively right away.
It is easier to think positively when in comfortable situations, but not when in the midst of problems, disasters or a harsh situation, unless you are trained.
Being positive, like any other skill, requires gradual development and training. No one can speak a new foreign language before studying and practising it for some time. A person who is not trained cannot lift heavy barbells or run or swim like an athlete.
Saying that everything is going to be all right, smiling for no reason or ignoring problems and difficulties without trying to solve them – all this is not being positive. It is being impractical.
Positive people expect the best and believe that a bad situation would improve, but they are also practical people. They act, not just daydream. They look for opportunities and for solutions, instead of doing nothing and blaming everybody for their troubles. They don’t dwell on their problems, live in self-pity or believe that they are victims.
When going through bad times, faced by disasters, misfortune or hardships, what good can one gain by becoming despondent, negative and unhappy?
Set goals no matter how impossible this might seem now and keep yourself busy working on them.
Prof. VGT
Why let circumstances and situations affect your moods and state of mind? Being positive will not make circumstances and condition disappear, as if by magic, but with a positive attitude you can improve the situation and be more in control of your state of mind, your reactions and your behavior.
You can keep thinking of the problems that you face and keep suffering, but you can also refuse to let circumstances affect your mind too much. You cannot always control external circumstances, but you can change your attitude and the way you feel.
It is not easy for people in difficult situations to think positively. This idea might not arise in their mind, but some are positive. Some do not let the events they go through affect their mind, and they are therefore happier and suffer less. Even people living at a survival level need some positive thinking, so they can improve their situation, even if only in a small measure.
