Positive Thinking

Dear Reader,

Do you practice positive thinking? I do. I’ll tell you what I mean by positive thinking, and why I think it’s a must in just a minute. First, I have to tell you about a great reminder of the power of positive thinking that I experienced just last week.

I attended an all-day event at the state capitol here in Maine. To get to the rooms in the capitol, we had to go through security, including a metal detector. Because our event was spread out over several rooms in two buildings, many of us had to pass through security multiple times.

The first time through was quite ordinary; grab a bin, dump in my change, keys, wallet, etc., pass through the metal detector, and collect my things from the bin. No problem.

The second time, I thought, would be the same as the first, and I went through the same exact routine – except this time, the alarm went off when I passed through the metal detector. One of the guards asked if I was wearing a belt with a big buckle, then sent me back to remove my belt and try again.

Just as I was thinking, “But my belt didn’t set off the metal detector the first time…” a tall, burly guard came over and said to me, “Just try it again, and think positive this time!” He was talking my language.

I walked up to the metal detector and was waved forward. As I took my first steps, the burly guard call out from behind me, “Think positive now!”

I did.

It worked!

Not that I was surprised. But I was delighted, and after a fist pump and a thank you to the guard, I gathered my things from the bin and went on my way.

So let’s talk, dear reader.

Do you think positive? I know, I know, a lot of people think it involves being fake, or suppressing many of the less positive but completely valid thoughts we might have during the day.  In some circles, “The Power of Positive Thinking” has gotten a bad reputation.

But let’s think (positively!) for a minute. A whole new field, “positive psychology” has sprung up in the last two decades to study the potential of positive thinking in our lives. That, when you think about it, is amazing – and significant.

In addition, science has revealed many benefits to positive thinking, included reduced stress, enhanced creativity and even a more robust immune response.

Studies have shown that both positive and negative expectations held by teachers toward their students have the corresponding effects on the students’ grades.

When athletes visualize themselves succeeding in their performance – they tend to perform better.

Doesn’t it make sense that thinking positive would be a worthwhile practice to follow?

We do, after all, have a choice as to what and how we think.

That’s where the problem comes in. We often think that we don’t have that choice. Negative thinking is often so ingrained in us, as a result of past conditioning, that we think it is all we are capable of.

I beg to differ. All it takes is a little practice, and you can be seeing the glass half full rather than half empty. It is a matter of learning to catch yourself every time you think a habitual, negative thought, releasing it, and making a different choice. The next step is to catch yourself in real time, as the negative thought forms, making it even easier to release. Eventually, you will be thinking positive thoughts before negative thoughts can arise.

You might ask whether that practice leads to ignoring or stuffing down our difficult emotions. As you cultivate greater awareness of your thoughts and feelings, I would suggest that you will notice them all in a more sensitive way, and it will lead you to able to reflect on, process, and avoid becoming attached to your thoughts and emotions, whether positive or negative.

And here is the most beautiful part: this practice ultimately will lead you to be more of who you really are at the deepest levels of your humanity – a positive, caring, cooperative, good-natured person. At its best, the process allows your true nature to come through in a natural way, even though it may not feel very natural at first.

This approach may be controversial, and we certainly have more to learn about it (thank you, positive psychology), but – what do you think, dear reader? Worth a try? Or not worth bothering with? Let’s hear from you, and tell us what you think.

At the very least, the next time you pass through a metal detector – remember to think positive!

I honor your loving heart,

John