The Power Of Negative Thinking
The benefits of positive thinking were popularized by Norman Vincent Peale as early as 1952. These days they're touted in "The Secret." Motivational speakers have been proselytizing about them for decades. But even with all that, our focus these days seems far more on the negatives—what to avoid, be afraid of, or worry about. That's not so good. Negative thinking has some really nasty side effects.
Take nutrition, for example. We're supposed to avoid trans fats. And high fructose corn syrup. And genetically altered food. To get rid of free radicals and reduce our cholesterol. We avoid red meat and bottled water and anything that came from Mexico—or is it Canada or the Honduras this week? Fresh greens are the road to certain death as is peanut butter—or whatever has been most recently found to have something nasty in it.
Be careful. Be very careful. Be afraid of what you might eat by accident.
There's so much more joy in eating gorgeous food that you meet raw and cook with love. Beautiful food is good for you. I vote for that instead of trying to avoid what isn't.
Food is just one arena. There's stuff to avoid in every facet of life. Scams. Toxic personalities. Sunshine--at least without sunscreen. Binge shopping. Crow's feet. Traffic jams. Weeds. Spam. Mean people. Burn out... The list goes on and on and on. Persuasive content these days is aimed at getting you to NOT have something happen, be it identity theft or erectile dysfunction.
We pay a huge price doing it this way.
Negative thinking puts you on alert: There is danger--something that's not good for you that you need to do something about. Something to fear. Something to worry about. These are other words for "stress." Your entire body stays on alert, waiting for further instructions on whether to fight the thing or run like hell. By worrying, we increase our odds of a heart attack, stroke, or some other health problem.
Most of what we are afraid of isn't even real. It's projections of a future that hasn't happened—and probably won't. The only legitimate things to fear are the scary things that are happening now. If you are afraid of the pit bull that's snarling at you, that's smart and it's time for action. But being afraid of what you might eat if you go on vacation is silly.
Avoidance as a life strategy is a case of trying to protect yourself from a future that probably won't ever come. Why not enjoy the present that's really here, right now, instead? Doing that will increase your immune levels, reduce your stress, and, of course, make life more fun moment to moment.
Negative thinking, even when aimed at beneficial results like getting in shape, is nowhere near as effective as positive thinking. Positive thinking is energizing. Happiness breeds and overflows into other aspects of your life. Being happy about something seems to provide an energy boost that makes life easier.
So how can you be positive in this negative world?
CHOOSE IT. Learn to consciously seek the positive in whatever you're dealing with. Rained on your picnic? Maybe you ended up with a funny story to tell. The job you thought you couldn't lose that just evaporated? That's the nudge you needed to assess whether your current career path is still the right one.
BE GRATEFUL. When you acknowledge what you have, the wisdom to see that specific blessing links to an overall sense of well-being.
IGNORE THE NAYSAYERS. Even if they are people you love and live with. Imagine an invisible wall of positive energy between you and that toxic thinking, keeping you from falling prey to the worry and woe.
Yes, it's easy to get caught up in the negatives. Try not to. The benefits of being happy far outweigh this unachievable effort to be 100% safe. As long as you're alive, there will be risks. They will be no greater if you choose to be happy and may actually be far less. Regardless, life is sweeter when you see the pluses—and there always are some.
Copyright (c) 2009 Mary Lloyd
