By: Vishen Lakhiani
Founder, Mindvalley
What is positive thinking?
Many motivational speakers have spoken time and again on the power of positive thinking. It may sound cliché but it really does work. In fact, positive thinking has gained so much traction since the late 90’s that psychology has a separate field to study it called “positive psychology” spearheaded by the famous Dr. Martin Seligman.
Positive thinking simply means focusing your thoughts toward the bright side in any situation. If you choose to direct your mental and emotional attitude this way, it affects the outcome and results in your favor.
How does it work?
According to quantum physics, everything is energy with a certain frequency or vibration. So if you think happy, positive thoughts, you will attract events or circumstances with the same frequency. In short, positive thoughts attract only positive energy, and negative thoughts attract only negative energy.
What this concept of “like attracts like” implies is that you have the power to control what happens in your life. It may sound far-fetched but it is true to a large extent. If you think positively and remain optimistic, you can achieve all your goals. Nothing is impossible. Nothing is unattainable. Through the power of positive thinking, we can manifest our thoughts into reality.
Even though it is this simple, we still let our negative thoughts dominate and we live a life that we are not satisfied with. This is because we are doubtful of the power of our own minds, and how we can influence our own reality. Once we fully believe in our own power and abilities, only then will positive thinking work.
How to practice positive thinking
You too can lead a more fulfilling life by practicing positive thinking using these helpful tips.
- Read or tell yourself affirmations every day
Positive affirmations help you fight self-doubt and insecurities. Spend time every day to read out your favorite affirmations or motivational quotes that really resonate with you.
Count your blessings, from the smallest to the biggest. You can even stand in front of a mirror and remind yourself that how your day goes depends only on you. It may seem silly, but try it and witness the magic for yourself. All you have to do is say it with belief and conviction.
It is best if you could do this as soon as you get up in the morning. There is no better way to start the day with a grateful heart and a positive attitude.
- Practice mindful meditation
Take time to close your eyes and take a deep breath, and just be mindful or fully aware of the moment. Then, slowly focus on your mind itself and filter out all the distractions of the external environment. What you are left with is a peaceful silence and a calming stillness.
Practicing mindful meditation has many benefits for your well-being, apart from cultivating positivity. It helps your mind and body to realign and be in tune, building not only a healthier body but a healthier mind as well. This automatically directs your thoughts toward a more positive tone, thus attracting positive energy.
- Understand that it is okay to make mistakes
None of us are perfect, and making mistakes is a part of life. Just because you think positively does not mean you won’t face troubles or make no mistakes in life. Positive thinking means you still choose to see the silver lining and not give up after making mistakes, despite many trials and tribulations.
Accepting and understanding that it is okay to make mistakes will teach you to take away something good out of every situation, even a bad one. It will help you turn failures into lessons, an important element of positive thinking.
- Talk to yourself like you would talk to a friend
A simple way to practice and make a habit of positive thinking is talking to yourself like you would talk to a friend. Usually, a major portion of our self-talks tends to be very negative because we are always so hard on ourselves. We have thoughts like “Why am I such a loser?” or “I don’t think I can do this”.
This habit is a huge obstacle in the face of positive thinking. If you start talking to yourself as you would to a friend, you will notice how much kinder and understanding you sound. Think about this: when a friend is feeling low, would you tell her things to make her feel even worse? Probably not. You try to be as supportive as you can. So, apart from being your harshest critic, also be your biggest supporter and own best friend.
- Do not doubt the power of visualization
Visualization is an important tool of positive thinking that helps you achieve your goals and get to where you want to be in life. According to the universal Law of Attraction, the kind of thoughts and attitudes you have will attract events that will make them become a reality.
So, if you think positive thoughts, you will attract only positive energy and events. If you have negative thoughts, only negative things will happen to you. Think positive and it will manifest into reality.
- 5 by 5 rule
This is a common rule that many positive people around the world live by. The 5 by 5 rule states that if it won’t matter in 5 years, do not spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it.
This attitude is a great way to prioritize and lead a stress-free life. Don’t waste precious time upset about something that won’t affect you in the long run. It may be a bit difficult at first since humans are so used to worrying about trivial things. But once you drop all unnecessary worries, you’d be amazed how positive you can be.
Positive thinking has the power to transform your life for the better. Check out our guide on how to think positive in 6 easy ways.
Sources:
http://www.mindvalleyacademy.com/blog/mind/positive-thinking
https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/practicing-positivity-5-tips-staying-positive/
