I think we can agree that positive thinking is basically a great thing. That is, the idea that we can move our lives from a good, positive and pleasant place, if it is true of course, sounds appealing and pleasant. Without the horror movies running through our heads, without the mirror that makes wrinkles, without the unpleasant frown. To be the kind of people who see the positive in reality. Does it sound so un-Israeli, in our reality? It’s not realistic….but it is clear that if it were possible, it could really upgrade life. (Our worldview has a significant impact on our stress level, as the saying goes about health.)
How to control our thinking, is it even possible?
Because man does not see himself except through himself, the reality revealed to us, as the saying goes, our interpretation of the reality revealed to us comes from our worldview. And our worldview in the inner experience is the real truth. And if it is the truth, it is very difficult to dispute it. Some people were born, educated, raised in, all of the above and are more optimistic, and some are more pessimistic. Is this changeable at all? It turns out that it is, and the simplest explanation for this is to look at our lives and see how many times we have changed our minds about things we thought we would never change, or what happens when people are in love or happy or just on a good day. Our thinking is more flexible than we think if we agree to look at it in depth and break away from rigid definitions such as “this is me”, “there is nothing to be done, it is like this”, etc.
A simple technique for perceptual change is using the E.P.R.T model – an acronym for Event, Emotion, Response. A change in our interpretation of an event changes the emotion that arises in us and the response accordingly. As the saying goes, we have the ability to control our interpretation, our thinking about things.
What enables positive thinking
People with positive thinking focus on what I want and how to achieve it. What needs to be done to get it, how can we act to get it. When we think and talk about our desires and how to act to achieve them, a better experience of control over life, vitality, joy, good mood and good physical feeling is created. Positive thinking helps with stress management and hence the impact of our thinking on our health. But don’t despair, our thinking is changeable to surprising levels.
What else does positive thinking affect in our health: longevity, lifestyle, depression, resilience, the immune system and the heart. A positive outlook allows us to better cope with challenging situations over time, which have a physical impact.
How to think positively
Positive thinking does not mean burying your head in the sand and ignoring unpleasant things that happen in reality. Not at all. But your attitude even in unpleasant situations is more positive, as in an attitude that seeks progress, change, and productivity. Your next thought is about the next good thing that is going to happen, or about what can be done to make it better despite the difficulty, and not about how much the worst is still ahead of us and there is nothing to be done.
We are flooded with internal thoughts that run in our brains in a live broadcast parallel to life. Endless thoughts. Some of them we pay attention to, some we are aware of, and some we are not. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Our inner speech resonates with these thoughts, with a logical response based on logic or by creating misconceptions that stem from a lack of information and knowledge.
How to manage this internal dialogue and work on the more positive place, focus on positive thoughts and stop the flow of negativity requires awareness and self-work to change our perception and attitude towards ourselves and the world. Not easy, but possible. Talk to yourself positively.
Positive thinking and success
Negative self-talk damages self-confidence and can prevent the next experience, and the courage to do things in order to ultimately succeed. The negative messages we tell ourselves are no different from harsh sentences that the environment says to us or about us, and we know that this affects us in most cases.
The motivation to try again and again on the path to success comes from belief in one’s ability, not from despair and self-deprecation. Positive and encouraging speech will motivate and inspire even after failure.
What we focus on is what we see most. We look for a red car and find it on every corner, we focus on the negative, we see negative in everything, so maybe it’s worth focusing on the positive…?
Focusing on positive thinking allows us to open up more, trust ourselves and others more, be more attentive, and have more freedom to experiment and create. Yes, creative thinking requires positive thinking.
Are you basically negative? 5 behaviors that characterize negative thinking
- Dilute the positive in every situation. Even if you had a great time at work, for example, you were fully committed, and you stood up to most of the tasks, your responsibilities for the next day will be that it probably wasn’t enough and how you need more, and not for a moment brag about the achievements and compliments.
- Everything is personal – when bad things happen, the initial thoughts are what did I do wrong, what’s wrong with me now, why don’t they want me, what’s wrong with me…
- You expect the worst at any given moment. Horror movies run through your head in every situation. There is a readiness for bad news, for negative events. Something that doesn’t work out exactly is a sign of things not going well…
- Polarity – things are either good or bad. There is no middle ground. Either I am perfect or I am nothing and zero.
How to practice positive thinking
You can practice positive thinking that over time will become natural for you. You have to work at it, practice and develop the “muscle” of positive thinking. It’s a habit like anything in life, and changing something in our habits requires persistence and determination. Then one day it will become a part of you.
- Identify areas of life where thinking is more negative. Not necessarily in all areas of life thinking is the same. It is important to start with one area and not everything at once (remember…not all or nothing).
- Check ourselves throughout the day. Stop for a moment and observe our thinking. If our instinct is on the negative mode, look for something that will move us away!
- Humor! I don’t have enough words to emphasize how important humor is and promotes positive thinking. (Even black humor…) Even in challenging situations, humor helps maintain better balance and less anxiety. The laughter mechanism will be released immediately!
- Surround yourself with positive people. This doesn’t mean throwing out all the friends you don’t…but it’s worth taking a good look at who you’re talking to on more difficult days.
- Practice positive self-talk – 3 simple ways:
- Not saying about myself what I wouldn’t dare say about others.
- To lift myself up, to praise. From you, a logical perspective plus a little more encouragement.
- To summarize for myself every day things I am grateful for in my life
- And of course, a healthy lifestyle and exercise also affect mood and reduce stress.
Positive language as a start!
The language we speak has enormous significance for ourselves and the world. And here again, it is a habit and style of years. In order to change, you have to start paying attention and correcting. At first, it sounds a bit forced, but as time goes by, it becomes a natural and integrated part of the language that is outward and inward in the inner speech.
Here are some examples:
Negative language: I have no idea how to do this Positive language: This is an opportunity to learn something new
Negative – It’s too complex, there’s nothing you can do Positive – We’ll try from a different angle
Negative – I have no money I have no resources Positive – Necessity is the mother of invention
Negative – This will never work Positive – I can try
