Did you know that you can google the words “positive thoughts” and find thousands upon thousands of encouraging, uplifting positive sayings?
Try it. I did. And I found things like:
- Live well, Laugh often, Love much (A very familiar saying, yes? I see it on photo frames all the time.)
- Train your mind to see the good in every situation.
- Don’t worry. Be happy. (Okay, now I’m humming that song. You, too?)
- Think about what could go right.
- Enjoy the simple things. (I gotta agree this is better than focusing on the complicated things.)
- Make it happen. Shock every single one of them.
- Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Positive thinking. It’s a good thing, right? It’s powerful, right? But is it enough? Is positive “you can do it” thinking enough when we’re facing tough times … the kind of struggles that stop us in our tracks … bring us to our knees … make us wonder what happened to the life we planned.
I’m wrestling with this question as I write my newest book. One of my characters is facing something unexpected. Something that turns their world upside down and inside out … and the way they tackle the problem is with positive thoughts. Lots and lots of positive thoughts.
Positive thinking is certainly better than giving into the undertow of negative thoughts, the pull of “I can’t” and “I hate my life” and “I’ll never be happy because I didn’t get what — or who — I wanted.” But is it enough to get us through the “all” of life?
In Your Words: What positive thoughts do you think when times are hard? And do you think positive thinking is enough to get through tough times — why or why not?
[ctt template=”8″ link=”aO2Hy” via=”yes” ]In Others\’ Words: Are You Positive? http://wp.me/p63waO-2jK #InOthersWords #quotes #positivethinking[/ctt] [ctt template=”8″ link=”6xbZ0″ via=”yes” ]\”Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2jK #quotes #MattCameron #positivethinking[/ctt]
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Comments 4
Mostly that He’s gotten me through every other narrow constricted place (kind of like birthing), and often with flair. So I’m expectant and curious to see how He’s going to get me through this one.
Author
That’s good, solid, grounded positive thinking. It’s based on Truth — and that makes a difference, doesn’t it?
Going through a stunningly painful week, and taking a huge blow to my morale (finding out that people close to you are wondering when you’re going to hurry up and die already isn’t much fun), I’m rather beyond the reach of any kind of positive reinforcement, so my mantra has become this:
Don’t mean nuthin’. Not a thing.
If my life’s going to get torn up like this, I’m not going to help by caring, and seeing that care shredded. It’s not nihilism; it’s survival, for the next hour.
Author
Andrew:
That’s canceling their negative thinking out with your positive thinking — and with your caring attitude. You keep caring. Keep being you. Because you matter. What you do, who you are, matters.