What is positive thinking? The negative side of positive thinking.

Missed all the deadlines? An important deal fell through? Did your neighbors flood? Positive thinking can change your attitude towards troubles and solve all your problems!

Pfff. Are you really falling for this? For me, ecstasy has the same effect - the attitude towards troubles is turned upside down, be healthy, and you don’t even need to learn any thinking! In both cases, ignoring reality is not a solution to the problem at all, and the customer or neighbors don’t care about your thinking style. After all, your problems are now theirs too.

Calls to think positively today come from everywhere - from books, TV, newspapers and Internet resources. Well, yes, smile - it annoys everyone. But where did you get the idea that thoughts are so material that positive thinking will be a panacea for all ills?

There are certainly positives to seeing the bright side of this world. For example, this will save your nerve cells that are not being restored. But that's not what this is about. We are talking about how most people perceive the phenomenon of positive thinking: “For everything to be good, you just need to think about good things!” And voila! Well, okay, maybe without “voila”, but the gist is something like this.

The so-called teaching of "positive thinking" makes people think that they don't even have to lift a finger for anything to happen - everything will happen on its own, as if by magic! Well, it doesn’t really talk about magic, only about quantum mechanics... It apparently explains the appearance of magical genies who fulfill all desires - money, success, or whatever else you have on the list.

Please don't fall for this bullshit. If we talk about quantum mechanics and other sciences, then there is a very simple formula for the result: positive thoughts multiplied by zero actions ultimately give zero. Elementary, Watson.

Common Definition of Positive Thinking

The term "positive thinking" first appeared in the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. Let's see what the author himself says about his theory.

“Positive Thinking” teaches you to perceive the world from a completely different perspective and use your capabilities to achieve the desired results through positive, realistic beliefs and thoughts. It is based on the scientifically proven fact that thoughts directly influence feelings, which in turn influence behavior. So if you think positively, you will get positive results, and if you think negatively, you will get negative results.”

Hm. Well, I quite like this, especially the highlighted part. In this definition, thinking has nothing to do with genies and “money magnets.” No quantum mechanics. Only the theory “Thoughts cause feelings, feelings cause actions.” I can't help but agree.

However (and this “however” must be highlighted in red) you should not buy the last sentence. Positive thinking does not guarantee a positive result. Do you remember how many times you were 100% sure of something and failed? And vice versa - how many times were you sure that you would be unlucky and - oops! – did everything work out?

The point is that events do not happen because of thinking. Events happen because you make them. All the salt is in action.

The Correct Definition of Positive Thinking

Now that we've established that it's all about action, let's formulate a proper definition of "positive thinking":

Positive thinking is the conscious choice of thoughts that create positive feelings and a desire to act.

If you purposefully move to the “light side”, you begin to focus on thoughts that make you feel good because it is based on facts, not magical quantum mechanics. If, for example, you go out into your garden and start thinking: “no weeds, no weeds, no weeds,” then in a week the weeds will hide your cabbage to hell. But if you tell yourself: “It’s great that I have a garden, and if I work in it, it will be absolutely great,” then you will mentally prepare yourself to take action.

The psychology is simple: when you think that your actions can change the world, you are more willing to take such actions. “Coming to the bright side” means framing the situation in your head in a way that makes you want to take action rather than feeling sorry for yourself.

The most correct definition: realistic thinking

You can call me an optimist all you want, but I am not an optimist at all. I'm a realist.

In reality, there is almost always something you can do to improve the situation.

In reality, all our problems are not the end of the world, as we often think about them.

In reality, you can get your butt off the couch right now and do one small thing that will change the situation.

In reality, you may feel terrible and have no motivation, but this does not mean that you really have no opportunities.

In reality, you can find someone to talk to who can pull you out of depression or apathy - if not somewhere nearby, then on some website, blog or forum. There are always people with whom you can find a common language.

In general, there is no such thing as pessimism - there is the concept of “unrealism”. As soon as you start to notice that you are becoming unrealistic, mentally kick yourself in the ass and start thinking realistically - see the world as a place full of possibilities. And you didn’t take advantage of them only because you haven’t yet overcome your self-doubt. This way you can find motivation within yourself and take action. In the long run, you'll have a much better chance of finding what you're looking for.

So until you find Aladdin's magic lamp, just go to the light side. You'll love it here.

The essence of positive thinking is to see in life not obstacles and shortcomings, failure and need, but to perceive it as a chain of positively resolved opportunities, favorable desires that should be cultivated in oneself and in others. However, not everyone can accept the principles of positive thinking, although it is necessary to strive for this.

One of the important places in the theory of positivism is occupied by the work of Norman Vincent Peale - “The Power of Positive Thinking”. The practice described in it is based on the interweaving of religion, psychology and psychotherapy.

Peale's philosophy is based on faith in oneself and one's God-given powers and abilities. Success is facilitated by faith in the human spirit, which is the source of human strength and the awakening of which is necessary to achieve achievements.

Usually people spend their lives in constant confrontation with troubles and, in their quest to the top, do not stop complaining about the difficulties that accompany their path. There is even such a concept - bad luck, but along with it there is also fortitude. And there is no reason to constantly give up, complaining about circumstances and not showing the potential for struggle inherent in everyone.

One of the ways available to an individual is to allow difficulties to be controlled by the mind and ultimately face the fact that they prevail in life. If you follow the path of getting rid of the negativism of your thoughts, then every person is able to overcome obstacles that would otherwise break him. As Peale himself says, everything contained in the book is from God, he is the Great Teacher of mankind.

First of all, faith in one’s own strengths and talents; if personal abilities are not realized, then success cannot be achieved; in this case, a feeling of inferiority will interfere, bordering on the collapse of plans and desires. But it is precisely the feeling of self-confidence that contributes to personal growth and the achievement of set goals.

Peale's recommendations for changing your inner position are based on a technique for clearing the mind, which should be done at least twice a day. Fears and hopelessness, regrets and hatred, resentment and guilt, all this should be recycled and thrown away. The very fact of efforts made in this direction in itself brings relative relief.

However, emptiness does not exist, and here too, new ones come to replace the removed negative thoughts, but so that they are not negative again, you need to strive to receive positive emotions, so that the thoughts are creative and positive.

To do this, throughout the day you should cultivate calming images in yourself that would have a positive effect on the soul and personality. Similar images include the impressions of contemplating the surface of the sea in the moonlight or the peace and quiet of a centuries-old pine forest, for example. Articulation helps images, because there is power hidden in every word. By pronouncing the word “calmness,” for example, a person is quite capable of inducing inner peace. Prayers and passages from Holy Scripture have enormous power, and by reading them you can achieve true peace.

To control your internal state, you should have hobbies, because only after immersing yourself in some positive activity, a person can get rid of the feeling of fatigue. Otherwise, energy leaks through the hopelessness of idleness and idleness.

The absence of positive life events leads to the degeneration of the individual and vice versa; the deeper the immersion in a significant type of activity, the more positive energy and less opportunity to get bogged down in minor troubles. There is a simple formula for overcoming adversity by reading prayers and positive images.

Positive thinking

Stressful situations overwhelm the modern lives of most individuals. It is often difficult to cope with existing emotional stress. One of them is the way of cultivating positive thinking. This is what will allow you to maintain inner peace and harmony.

• The first thing that is necessary to master positive thinking is the realization that each person himself creates his own home of happiness.
• The second thing that should not be avoided is the desire to understand all the problems that haunt and gnaw.
• The third principle of positive thinking involves setting goals and priorities. Clear goals and mental, in detail, modeling of their achievement are important. A powerful tool is mental visualization of goals.
• The fourth principle is smiling: “Laughter prolongs life.”
• The fifth principle is the ability to appreciate what is “here and now”; every moment is unique and will never happen again.
• Principle six – optimism. Not the optimist who sees everything exclusively in a rosy light, but the one who is confident in both himself and his abilities.

Positive thinking is an art

Mental balance, mental balance, they are promoted by true art - positive thinking. One of the greatest planetary forces in reality is the power of thought. Man has the power to evolve to the greatest heights with the power of his own thoughts.

If the thought process is directed towards the negative, then instead of development there will be a degradation of the personality, as intense as the person is active in his fall. The power of positive thinking is hidden in the inability of the person who cultivates it to be influenced by anger and hatred, greed and pettiness, fear and meanness, that is, negativism in any of its manifestations.

The mastery of positive thinking is based on the human perception of oneself as material beings, consisting of flesh and blood, capable of satisfying not only physiological but also psychological needs through the human body. Each individual reacts to the environment in a unique way, and it is precisely this reaction that will be the basis of his future. This postulate indicates that it depends only on the individual what kind of future awaits him, a joyful one or something else.

Positive thinking is based on three main conceptual principles:

• energy exchange;
• eradication of mental pollution;
• interdependence of body and mind.

The exchange of energies lies in the fact that literally every emotion felt by an individual leaves very definite traces on his subtle body, which subsequently influence the line of his future thoughts.

In this regard, emotions are divided into those that give energy and those that take it away. To acquire harmony, you should immerse yourself in a meditative state, give the mind the opportunity to modify thoughts in a positive direction, transform anger into mercy, sadness into gratitude.

It is almost impossible to eliminate completely unfavorable thoughts, but it is quite possible to transform them into favorable thoughts. There is an opinion that bad emotions clog the brain, among them arrogance and jealousy, passion and insatiability, self-interest and lust, envy and rashness.

First of all, it is necessary to get rid of them, because they are the essence of a projection of shortcomings on a person’s physical and spiritual health. The experiences of each person are reflected in himself and in the world around him, so one should accept as an axiom the statement about the interconnectedness of the human body with the thoughts generated by the brain. And in this connection, the emergence of a new reality is possible.

The art of positive thinking is based on a practice divided into twenty-eight days of developing mental power. One such cycle may be quite enough to develop the internal potential for attracting the desired changes. The author of the method advises using Thursday as a start - the day of well-being within the framework of the Bon teachings. The end of practice is Wednesday.

According to the essence of positive thinking and the practice that accompanies it, you will be immersed in a meditative state, concentrating on a problem situation and – mentally destroying it. You can deal with a problem in completely different ways, you can tear it apart, burn it, crush it. The brighter the image of its destruction, the better.

It is quite possible that after mentally destroying a problem, negative emotions associated with it materialize in the brain, but you should not pay attention to them; they will soon simply disappear.

Positive thinking- a concept used in seminars on motivational personal development, as well as in the relevant literature. Synonyms are “new thinking”, “right thinking”, “power thinking” or “mental positivism”. The concept of “positive thinking” is not synonymous with positive psychology. But, at the same time, positive thinking largely relies on it, being, as it were, an applied continuation of it (although as a system of concepts, positive thinking arose earlier - positive psychology is associated with the names of Martin Seligman, Michael Fordice and a number of other authors working in the 1970s -- 2010s, while positive thinking dates back to the nineteenth century). Modern authors “on positive thinking” readily quote the luminaries of positive psychology, seeing in their works a theoretical justification, on the one hand, and, on the other, a practical “scientifically based” confirmation of their concepts. The “positive thinking” method is based on the fact that those who use it, through the constant positive influence of conscious thinking (for example, using affirmations or meditative visualizations), achieve a long-lasting constructive and optimistic mood in their thoughts and thereby increase their satisfaction and quality of life.

In some writings on this topic, faith plays a central role. In this case, we are not primarily talking about a religious and transcendentally oriented belief, but about the conviction that the things that a person considers to be “true” tend to come true in his life. Often, however, the line of transition to esotericism is difficult to notice.

Worldview-wise, the method of positive thinking reveals itself as a way of deconstructing false or non-existent negative reality and its effects that arose only as a consequence of false ideas or - in a monistic/esoteric sense - the positive/correct use of the “laws of the forces of the cosmos”. While in specialized groups and communities positive thinking is seen primarily as a method of health improvement, popular literature offers it as an assistant in life, promising income maximization, health and happiness. Numerous tricks should maintain mental optimism (a positive saying on a calendar; a short phrase on the phone; subliminal messages with subliminal influence).

The principles of positive thinking are often used by authors of business and educational literature (for example, R. Kiyosaki), as well as business coaches and popularizers of positive thinking itself in relation to various sets of technologies that are similar in spirit to the practices of life hacking and designed to bring a constructive and creative component to work and business processes.

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Positive thinking is the first step to happiness

Brian Tracy. Seminar about positive thinking, planning and success.

Positive Thinking and Positive Attitude Pixar

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Story

Positive thinking arose in the second half of the 19th century under the influence of a spiritual impulse emanating primarily from R. W. Emerson and his Transcendentalists, which was then developed by Quimby, R. W. Train, P. Melford and others in America. “Mesmerism” developed in Europe (F.A. Mesmer published his first works back in the 70s of the eighteenth century) and the Coue method.

In Japan you can name the name M. Taniguchi. In Germany, this topic was studied by O. Schellbach (Institute of “Mental Positivism” since 1921), whose “soulphony” records can be considered as prototypes of subliminals and, above all, by K. O. Schmidt. Nowadays, there is a noticeable tendency to reduce theoretical developments and at the same time disseminate stories about stories of successful falls from houses and practical guides to positive thinking (Joseph Murphy and his student Erhard F. Freitag, Dale Carnegie, Norman W. Peale).

On the other hand, there is a clear inheritance of the traditions of Protestant ethics, the components of which are, among other things, the cult of common sense, “rational organization of work” (M. Weber), the concept of personal responsibility for one’s own well-being, the conscious use of others’ positive experience and attitude towards failures as the only effective way to gain experience.

Practice of use

Although the concept of positive thinking has been criticized and seen as less than effective, modern neuroscience suggests that everyday thinking has medium- and long-term effects on brain activity. In addition, to achieve a short-term therapeutic effect, for example, to relieve pain, suggestion and self-hypnosis are used.

The use of positive thinking is problematic when the person himself is considered the culprit of misfortune and suffering. This very individualistic method leaves the social components of such a human condition outside of consideration. In practice, teachers of positive thinking in such cases recommend working on changing the point of view (to some extent, even the life paradigm, convincing the “adherents” that more depends on them than they think). The work goes in the direction - “I am the source of everything that happens to me.” In this case, this does not imply the development of ideas of self-accusation and self-deprecation - on the contrary, the belief in the opportunity to change for the better both your approach, your views, and your life circumstances is activated; we are usually also talking about a greater altruistic orientation of the individual.

Some meditation teachers criticize positive thinking as further manipulating the mind and thereby interfering with the natural process of spiritual development.

Psychologists and psychiatrists warn that this method can harm labile and depressed patients, and in people who are not prone to critical thinking, it can lead to loss of contact with reality. Loss of reality can arise as a result of avoiding critical questions and, as a result, partial silence about existing weaknesses. As a result, there is a neglect of the various qualities of a person, the structure of his personality, as well as the interaction between the individual’s psyche and the social environment. An experiment by Joanne Wood and colleagues at the University of Waterloo showed that participants with low self-awareness only uttering positively connoted sentences significantly reduced their mood, optimism, and willingness to take part in any activity. In contrast, people with good self-awareness benefited from self-hypnosis, but the effect was subtle.

Oswald Neuberger, professor of psychology at the University of Augsburg, sees the method of positive thinking as a closed case: “ If you are not successful, then it is your own fault, because you clearly did something wrong. And the “coach” remains impeccable.“Thus, the problem of errors is individualized, failures are personalized, and all blame is removed from the economic and social system.

Colin Goldner, director of the Forum for Critical Psychology, criticizing " psycho- and social Darwinian madness", carried out by motivational trainers, diagnoses the increase in " deficits in thinking and awareness"in people who" trivialized hypnotic suggestions" And " pseudo-dialectical blessings", caught in the trap of chatter" third class guru» .

On the other hand, the concept of personal responsibility for one’s own well-being inherent in positive thinking methods as the ability to influence the course of events can, in some cases, encourage a person to take an active life position and get out of depressed states.

Often, the concept of positive thinking is misunderstood. In fact, this does not mean that you have to be happy every day and, at the same time, smile all the time. Rather, it is a choice, a way of life, a philosophy that helps to look for the positive in any life situation. Of course, it's easy to enjoy every day when life flows smoothly and simply.

However, it is only when it begins to throw up problems, difficulties and even tragedies that your positive thinking is truly tested, says A2news.ru.

Positive thinking leads to a positive life. This, in turn, presupposes the ability to improve. We call it a skill because this ability can be acquired in the same way as learning a language or playing a musical instrument. For those who are optimistic by nature, this is certainly easier to do, but everyone can become more positive if they just want to.

What is the opposite of positivity? That's right, negative. This phenomenon occurs in abundance in our society, especially in the current climate of fear, uncertainty and uncertainty. Recently, one can often observe how young couples set themselves, first of all, the goal of purchasing a good apartment, house, other material goods, and making a certain amount of money. How to spot signs of kidney disease There is a theory that it is because of the instability in the world around us that young people have become more insistent in their desire to have everything at once, without waiting for a long time. Older members of our society tend to take the opposite view, being more conservative on this issue. They are ready for restrictions and are not afraid of difficulties.

Neither of the two positions is correct. It is unwise to be too careful in your actions, but you also cannot forget about everything in the world on the way to your goal. Neither the first nor the second opinion corresponds to reality when it comes to positive thinking.

The media play a big role in shaping the social attitudes of each of us. But, unfortunately, much of what we hear and see on television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet brings us negative emotions. Of course, it is very difficult to maintain a positive attitude in the face of such a powerful onslaught of negativity. Many people choose to exclude any media exposure from their lives for this reason, but positive thinking does not involve avoiding problems. It's about walking through life with courage and always having your own point of view, especially when you have to face the negative side of life.

So what is true positive thinking?

The whole truth about positive thinking.

In fact, positive thinking is more than just optimism. People who have it are able to easily challenge all problems and difficulties. The well-known expression that the glass can be half empty or half full perfectly characterizes supporters of positive thinking. Two people can look at the same glass and see two completely different situations, depending on their point of view. We have a wonderful story that shows how this happens.

A father took his two young sons to the doctor because one boy was a complete pessimist and the other was an absolute optimist, which worried the father very much. The doctor asked the man to leave his children with him for the day. The man agreed, and the doctor led the boys down the corridor. He opened one door leading to a room filled with every imaginable toy, stuffed animal, sweets, and more. The doctor suggested that the pessimist stay there for a while, saying that the room could be fun. He then led the optimist into a second room, which contained nothing but a huge pile of dung located right in the center. The doctor left the boy there. At the end of the day, the doctor entered the room where the first boy was to play. The room looked terrible, toys were broken, scattered all over the floor, everything was a mess. The pessimistic boy cried and told the doctor that he had no more toys left! Then, the doctor moved into the next room, where he found the optimistic boy sitting in a pile of manure. When asked why he climbed there, the boy replied that, in his opinion, if there was such a large pile of manure, then there must be a horse somewhere nearby!

This story very clearly characterizes both pessimism and optimism. The pessimistic boy was unhappy, despite all the blessings that were given to him, and the optimist looked for good in the most terrible things.

Let's give another example. Two men, one of whom was an optimist and the other a pessimist, were on an air flight. The pessimist told his friend about all the potential dangers of such a trip - crime, airport security, the risk of terrorism, and so on. Since the optimist did not react to this information, the pessimist finally remembered that the plane could explode! Without thinking twice, the optimist replied that it’s okay! If this happens, they will already be much closer to heaven. Thus, the typical approach of a person who strives for positive thinking and life is to see the good side in even the most terrible events.

The concept of negativity.

Before we can consider changing negative thinking to positive thinking, we must understand the nature of the former. The reason why most people prefer to have a negative thinking style is because it is much more convenient and safe. Negativity is associated with fear and the need to control the world around us. Positivity is characterized by trust and the belief that life is good. But trust is a risk. Many people are afraid that life will give them unwanted surprises.

Negative ego.

In nature, all opposites are balanced. Sometimes we observe the principle mentioned first above, sometimes the last. In general, however, we move in waves between the two, embracing both sides of our nature. Most of us are raised to strive to show only our positive sides, which results in us not being our full selves. The human psyche is based on both positive and negative. The latter is represented as the negative ego. This is literally our dark side, whose job is to make us worry, doubt, feel anger, resentment, self-pity and hatred of others - the whole spectrum of so-called negative emotions. We say so-called because all emotions are in fact healthy and should be expressed without judgment or restriction. What really matters is how we respond to them. In addition, there are certain means by which you can add optimism to yourself.

When the negative ego speaks in us, we still have to listen to it, because we have enough wisdom and strength not to do bad things. In doing so, we simply become more resilient and stronger. This voice is suppressed by most of us, leading to many potential problems. In very severe cases, the dark side of our consciousness finally develops into a tendency towards violence, crime, drug addiction and destructive behavior.

On the other hand, the reward of accepting yourself fully, both positive and negative, is an achievement that helps free your consciousness. Give yourself the opportunity to be yourself. At the same time, one cannot do without struggle and self-doubt. This does not mean that you need to listen only to the positive side of consciousness, excluding the manifestation of negativity. However, if you allow the negative ego to control you, it can lead to problems such as drug addiction, depression and self-hatred.

How will all of this help you become more positive? The point is that being at peace with yourself is a principle of positive thinking. As we wrote at the beginning, optimism in our lives does not allow problems to completely take over our minds.

Negative thinking is a completely different concept, the appearance of which in our lives is not at all desirable. When he manages to take over your positive side of consciousness, make an effort to stop and immediately change your thoughts to positive ones. If you cannot do this, try to neutralize the influence of negative thinking. For example, when you think that you could do something, an optimist will think that he can do it, and a pessimist will think that he will not do it. Thus, if you are naturally a negative thinker, start your thought with the phrase - I am not going to think that... Gradually you will be able to get rid of the influence of negative thinking.

Proactive life.

Being positive is great, but you can take it to the next level. From positive thinking to prosperity thinking, which involves planning your life one step ahead, creating your own destiny, always expecting the best, rather than fearing the worst. This is required not only by the philosophy of optimism, but by maximum trust in oneself and life. This means living actively, not passively. Plan your goals and dream about them, expect results and believe that everything will work out.

Like any theory, positive thinking requires a lot of strength and determination. Moreover, you will always be surrounded by people who are ready to tell you what a dreamer you are and that life is very cruel now, and you are simply wearing rose-colored glasses. Say that you create your own reality and life scenario in accordance with your thoughts. It is much easier to complain and be a pessimist than to insist that everything will be fine, no matter the circumstances. You should never give in to fear - never, ever. The economy, climate change, terrorism - all problems associated with these factors have their own solutions, and you must be sure that you will find them.

Approval and attraction.

These two concepts accompany active living and creating a positive existence. Affirmations literally mean our positive statements about life. Even though they are said out loud and are perceived mechanically, affirmations have the power to help change thinking over time. Try to choose a specific area in which you want to work and, if possible, write your own affirmations. Make it as simple as possible, formulating them in the present tense and repeating the affirmations constantly, like a mantra. In light of the current financial crisis, you can, for example, say that you are financially secure. Reality will indeed change with your statement if you believe in what you are saying and have made a firm decision to use this method.

Attractiveness is an expression of the energy you put into changing your thoughts and expressing what you want to see in material form around you. Feeling grateful for what you already have is part of this energy. Anxiety is the exact opposite of positive energy and actually delays achieving results. It's great to set goals and want to achieve great things in the future, but it's also vital to stay in the present. Goals that you set too far into the future are a sure recipe for developing negative thinking and strengthening feelings of fear. Enjoy life in the present moment, but not recklessly. Take pleasure in the small, simple gifts that make up your daily life, such as sunshine, the food we have, love, our family and friends, our home and so on.

Unfortunately, both positive and negative are very unstable and grow in direct proportion to the energy that causes them. Therefore, it is very important to make a conscious choice and remain positive every day, no matter the circumstances. If this does not come naturally to you, then difficulties may arise at the initial stage. However, remember that the key to learning is practice.

Sometimes, uncertainty triggers a person's defense mechanisms. It happens that the influence of external factors over which you have no direct control comes into conflict with the need to succeed in achieving your goal. Remember that only you are responsible for your own destiny, until the moment you want it.

Here are ten tips to help you develop truly positive thinking skills:

• · Give up negativity - consciously choose the predominance of positive thoughts over negative ones in all life situations.
• · Avoid feelings of anxiety, no matter how difficult the situation you find yourself in - relax, laugh and enjoy the fact that you are simply living.
• · Stay in the present, which is always easy to manage.
• · Face your fears about the challenges you are currently facing. Stay courageous and believe that your problems can always be solved.
• · Choose positivity as a way of life and practice it every day.
• · Use affirmations to attract all the good things you would like to bring into your life.
• · Be grateful for what you already have.
• · Identify and then get rid of old principles that no longer serve a positive purpose in your life.
• · Accept yourself for who you are and be at peace with everything that surrounds you.
• · Maintain a positive atmosphere around you. Hang out with optimistic people. If there is someone around you with a negative mindset, show them your beliefs and let the pessimist learn from your example, releasing their fear on the way to positive thinking.

Anton Yasyr

How often do you have to complain about your life? Two, five, or maybe ten times a day? Whatever answer you choose, the very presence of complaints about life and the desire to express these complaints is a signal that you tend to think negatively. A person may not even show his dissatisfaction to anyone, thereby giving others the impression of a confident and optimistic person, but the worries and negativity in his soul are so strong that he miraculously restrains himself.

You may object: “But this is our life - an economic crisis, unemployment, cataclysms, shortages of goods! How can one not become a pessimist?” Let me assure you that this is more of an excuse than an objective reason. A person manifests himself as a pessimist not because he has many problems, and not because this is how circumstances have developed in the country, but because he is one in himself. Many people live and do not understand that optimism is precisely that “magic wand” that gives a person the strength to cope with any, even the most difficult problems.

To prove the above, it is enough to conduct a simple experiment. If two people, an optimist and a pessimist, are placed in the same conditions of existence that are unusual for them, when their lives shift from the schedule they had planned, then their reaction to what is happening will be radically opposite. Let's imagine that an optimist and a pessimist were told that they were being fired from their jobs and that today would be their last working day in this company.

Pessimist: “Oh no! What to do? I gave this company 10 years of my life, and they treat me like this! Where will I go now, who needs me now? I won’t have anything to feed my family, we’ll die of hunger! I know it’s the government’s fault, they didn’t create jobs! Also, prices for goods are constantly rising. That's it, my life has no meaning...”

Optimist: “Yes, now the search for a new job is becoming urgent. Well, nothing, over 10 years of work in this company I have accumulated significant experience and knowledge that will help me find a job with a decent salary. Specialists of my level are always needed, life doesn’t end there. Moreover, change is always for the better, and if I’ve been sitting in one place for too long, it’s time to improve my skills. Let’s see what other companies offer for work today.”

Will it surprise you that an optimist will find a new job within a week, while a pessimist a month later will sit and mourn his previous job, blaming everyone and everything for his failures.

According to a sociological survey of Internet users from around the world, conducted by one of the leading sociological sites, 21.57% of Europeans consider themselves optimists, 18.95% - moderate optimists, and another 16.99% of Internet users consider themselves more optimists than pessimists. In total, it turns out that almost 58% of Europeans consider themselves optimists! Even if this is true, most of them clearly do not occur in the countries of the former USSR. It just so happens that our person has developed a bad habit - to be constantly dissatisfied with something. Moreover, real “talent” lies in the ability, during the next complaint, to assert that a person is an optimist... Those who are more modest in their self-esteem call themselves moderate optimists. What could it be? Probably something like self-hypnosis.

In fact, in order not to consider oneself an optimist, but to be one in real life, a person must start by changing his worldview, changing his own reaction to events occurring in his life, and develop positive thinking. In the example, we considered an experiment with an optimist and a pessimist. So, the main difference in the reaction of these people to unpleasant changes in their own lives lies in the form of the reaction, expressed in the form of a question.

The pessimist’s question: “Why do I need this? What am I to blame for?

The optimist’s question is: “What can I do to change the situation.”

Please note that an optimist’s question involves finding an answer to a specific question, as a result of which the person subsequently takes certain actions. A person acts, and does not sit idly by and wait for the situation to resolve itself - this way one can wait for an eternity. Unlike an optimist, a pessimist always looks for those to blame for everything, trying to protect himself in his own eyes and not fall under the reproaches of others. Sometimes such behavior causes laughter, since a mature, accomplished person from the outside begins to resemble a child whose toy was stolen, and now he complains to his mother that Vova (Vasya, Petya) did it.

Of course, as you understand, pessimism has nothing to do with success and positive thinking. So, first of all, you need to decide what positive thinking is. Positive thinking is the main component of success and personal growth, the ability of the human mind to concentrate on positive thoughts in any given situation. For a person with positive thinking, it is not difficult to see their best qualities in people, to find something good even in the most negative situation. Positive thinking is not a way of perceiving the world, it is a real art that few people master.

Through positive thinking, a person shows a kind attitude towards people and the world around him, a person thinks about good things and believes that life is a wonderful fairy tale, and this belief comes from the heart and is not imposed on the human consciousness. If a person is led into deep hypnosis and forced to “think positively” by repeatedly repeating the phrase: “My life is wonderful and amazing,” then this will not be positive thinking. Positive thinking is a conscious choice of a person; it cannot be imposed by either society or the government. A person with positive thinking believes in the success of any business he undertakes, otherwise he simply does not start it. Such a person radiates a smile; people around him are pleased to be in his company, because they know that they can always rely on a positive person, that his word is law, and he does not just throw away promises.

Recently, statements have become more frequent that positive thinking is a bluff, a person’s self-deception, that a person puts on “rose-colored glasses” with his own hands in order not to notice the seriousness of the problem, to avoid it. However, these statements for the most part are an attempt by negatively thinking people to impose their opinions on others. Often, such people do not fully understand the true essence of the concept of “positive thinking,” endowing it with traits of indifference. But a person with positive thinking strives not to ignore the existing problem, but to look at it from a different angle, based on faith in his own strength. In this way, he is fundamentally different from a negative person who does not believe in himself and does not take decisive action.

If you, a person who has once and for all decided to be a proponent of positive thinking, suddenly come across statements regarding the harmful effects of positive thinking on a person, then just take a look at those people who advocate being against a positive outlook on life. Do you see them as successful people who have achieved high professional ranks, created strong families and ensured their old age and the future of their children? No and no again! Most often, these people live “from paycheck to paycheck,” are always dissatisfied with life, their work, their family, and at the same time they try to teach someone something. Run away from such teachers. Turn your attention to truly successful individuals, among whom you are unlikely to meet people with negative thinking, because such people do not achieve success and break down at the first problems.

It should be remembered that thoughts are material, and if you boldly move forward, hoping for an improvement in the current situation, what will you get? That's right - improving the current situation! Here's the secret to positive thinking - positive people get positive. The same force of attraction operates when communicating with people. If a person comes towards you and looks in your direction, and you, looking at him, think: “What are you looking at? What do you need?”, then your question will involuntarily be reflected in your facial expression, your facial expressions and gaze, and the person will turn away from you, feeling the negative energy emanating from you in a powerful stream. However, as soon as you respond to your interlocutor with a friendly, welcoming look, you will immediately receive this look in return. Smile at the person you meet and he will smile back at you.

Through positive thinking, a person increases his own self-esteem by telling himself: “Yes, I can do it! I'm the best." In this way, a person shows love for himself, and without this, love and acceptance of you by other people is impossible.

The benefits of positive thinking. So, you are on the path of choosing your own thinking model. Your choice is extremely simple - either positive (successful) thinking or negative (unsuccessful) thinking. Let’s try to make your choice easier by citing the main benefits of positive thinking:

1. Self-confidence. When a person thinks positively, he begins to believe that he is capable of achieving anything. Positive thinking contributes to the realization of the great potential inherent in every person, but which has not found its manifestation.

2. Attracts good things into a person’s life. When a person thinks good, he gets good. Our life is what we think about it. If a person develops a positive attitude, he will attract the attention of other people. Remember, no one wants to spend time with insecure people who constantly complain about their circumstances.

3. Effectively combat stress. When problems come, the pessimist begins to get nervous and worry, spending his last strength on it. A person with positive thinking, before dying in grief, is able to take a sober look at the situation and find the right solution. When stressful situations arise, a person’s positive thinking allows him to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, to imagine that the situation has already been successfully resolved, which will keep the nervous system intact.