Helpful blog from the Huffington Post which links to some other very good blogs.
By now the benefits of positive thinking are well established. Sages, psychologists, neuroscientists, researchers and doctors all have been espousing the benefits of positive thinking for hundreds of years.
Positive thinking helps us to be healthier, more productive and ultimately happier. Yet for most of us it is hard to practice optimism on a regular basis.
‘Relieving the states that make life miserable… has made building the states that make life worth living less of a priority. The time has finally arrived for a science that seeks to understand positive emotion, build strength and virtue, and provide guideposts for finding what Aristotle called the ‘good life.’ Dr. Martin Seligman
I am fascinated by the human quest to understand the underpinnings of positive thinking. From Epictetus to Ralph Waldo Emerson to Buddha to Dr. Martin Seligman to Oprah, I seek every bit of inspiring wisdom I can to practice optimism.
Here are my seven essential mantras that I find helpful to keep myself on a positive track:
1. Guide Your Energy
“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” Muhammad Ali
According to quantum physics, our thoughts have a frequency and a corresponding unique vibration that attracts similar frequencies into our lives. So negative thinking attracts negative energy; positive thinking attracts positive energy.
Buddha, Aristotle and many others have suggested the same, how we think creates the energy that ultimately manifests our realities. If we go into a situation with a negative thought process then we are almost destined to have a negative outcome.
This also applies to group thinking or collective consciousness. When a collection of people together guides their mental energy for a positive outcome, the likelihood of their success is usually lot higher and than otherwise. Their collective energy attracts positivity or negativity.
2. Connect with Ourselves
Life is a process of ongoing transformation spurred by the interlinked qualities of curiosity, purpose, and courage. When you know yourself, you can act with a confidence that is your own.
The better we understand the nature of the world, the better we can move in the world. The better we understand the nature of ourselves, the better we can move within ourselves.
3. Practice Visualization
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” Buddha
Visualization is perhaps one of many attributes that assures one’s future. In the psychology community, creative visualization refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world by changing one’s thoughts and expectations.
Visualization is a technique used by winners in all walks of life. Our minds have an enormous capacity to connect the invisible dots to guide us to strive for the impossible.
4. Slow Down To Move Forward
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.” Thich Nhat Hanh
Sometimes we need to slow down in order to move forward. Slowing down is a deliberate choice that can lead to greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness, which yields better results in one’s endeavors.
Being truly in the moment allows us to escape from adversity and conserve our inner energy. Living in the moment doesn’t mean we don’t care about the future. It means that when we make a choice to do something, we focus on solely doing it, rather than letting our mind wander into the future (or the past).
5. Read, Write, Watch
Inspiration can come from anywhere and anyone. Mine often comes from books and movies — books and movies that combine life stories with a spiritual journey.
Writing allows us to consciously put these positive reaffirmations on paper to visualize our destiny. I have also found writing is therapeutic for coping with my adversities. It allows me to turn my anger, fear, and disappointments into inspiration for myself and my readers. It serves as stress relief when you try to turn negative into positive by finally expressing what you feel down deep inside.
6. Be Kind To Yourself
In his book, The Art of Happiness, His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama wrote, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
It is particularly difficult to stay positive in the face of adversity and failure. For many, even though it may be easy to show compassion to others, it may be hard to accept, embrace, and be compassionate toward ourselves. Some of us blame others for all our miseries and some blame ourselves.
Often it’s easy to blame oneself, feel sorry, and/or put oneself down. It is only through being able to let go, have compassion for oneself, and self-encouragement that we can pursue a path of positivity.
It is our trials and tribulations that make us who we are. Without compassion for ourselves we never find the awareness that allows us to nurture our true self.
7. Develop Resiliency
“In the end, if you are lucky, you see that our trials are what improve us. And if you are very lucky and somewhat insightful, you see that whatever your trial has been, it is exactly what you needed. Our trials make us who we are.” Michael Morton
Positive people develop a mental capacity that allows them to adapt with ease during adversity. They develop a set of powerful mental traits.
Resiliency begins with adaptability, acceptance, and gratitude. Success and happiness does not always come from blasting through rocks and impediments, rather from having the faith, courage and ‘letting it happen’ attitude to cope with harsh realities of life.
Above all, positive and optimistic people lead themselves by constantly finding encouragement within their soul. They surround themselves with other positive people. And they inspire others despite their own personal adversity.
The more you give out positively, the more you get back.
