What Really Makes Positive Thinking Work

The power of positive thinking is impressive and undeniable! Uplifting thoughts are the song that fills a heart, the speech that lights a fire, the words that drive a cause. It’s the motivator for children and adults, communities and businesses. It’s the environment of hope that empowers.

So, when it’s missing, are we becalmed, helpless like a sailboat without the wind? Far from it! We can call on the mind within.

The power of positive thinking, so long touted but little understood, comes from our attitudes of mind – those point of view emotions, moods, and ideas put into self-talk. That chatter in our heads can change. And as it does, the attitudes it captures change as well. Rephrase “a rainy day is depressing” to “a rainy day is one for cozy, inside pursuits,” and gloomy hours turn into pleasures.

But there’s one condition. To make self-talk corrections work, they must be reasonable and useful. Opposite statements don’t help. So, if you’re worried about bombing a speech, saying “I’m going to be great!” won’t end your stress. In fact, it will probably raise it. Your inner self knows the pep talk isn’t true. It sees that fantasy as more proof of likely failure.

A more reasonable thought would be “If I practice, I’ll be more comfortable with my words.” That idea also prompts very useful actions. There’s the power of positive thinking!

In brief …

In the words of William James, American philosopher and psychologist (1842-1910), self-talk is life changing!

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”