Although many of us would describe ourselves as having a positive outlook on life how many of us really understand what positive thinking is? Positive thinking is not about having happy thoughts all day long. It is more than just consistently lifting ones mood.
Perhaps it is better if I describe this in reverse. The opposite of thinking positively is acting in fear.
Looking at the word fear as an acronym False Evidence Appearing Real, it describes what happens when people consistently focus on fearful thoughts. There is a saying, thoughts become things.
Why worry?
Worry is something we are all familiar with. When we think of the negative we worry. Worry takes place in the mind through fearful thoughts. The more we focus on these thoughts the more we look for experiences that will give us the evidence that these thoughts were right. As these thoughts manifest in the physical they gives us a sense of certainty that these thoughts, feelings and behaviours are all aligned. Therefore, by having a negative outlook on life we can be certain of the outcome.
This certainty brings about a feeling of security and comfort. For example a person who states ‘bad things always happen to me’ is able to say this with certainty. It is therefore safer for them to stay in their comfort zone and not experience anything new.
However, most of us do not have this certainty when it comes to positive thinking. We tend to give up on positive thoughts rather quickly. In doing so we never look for the evidence that the positive can manifest in reality. Therefore, when someone is told to cheer up, they simply shrug their shoulders indicating their belief that the positive will never happen. The truth is, it will never happen if we do not focus on these positive thoughts. If we do not look for the evidence, these positive thoughts will not manifest in reality or as physical things.
In my new book The Path To Enthusiasm I show you how to move away from fear and move into positive thinking; create a vision boards of the things you would like to do, be and have. I also show you how easy it is to look for the evidence in everyday life. Just as an advert flashes on your screen for a few seconds, so these images will be in your mind. Try it for yourself.