Why are we so disappointed in Pollyanna? After all, she is just a little girl with a large dose of positive mental attitude. Instead of making fun of her, we should learn something from her. I’m not saying we have to become Pollyanna, but when you think about it, positive thinking is the only sensible way forward. Our thinking creates our reality, so isn’t it a bit silly to create our reality based on negative thinking? When we realize this, we understand that we cannot afford to think negatively.

As Einstein said, “we are boxed in by the boundary conditions of our thinking.” Mind management is essentially the key to life management, and we all have the power to choose what we think. It can take time and effort to break the habit of negative thinking, but that’s just what it is, a habit. So the trick is to cultivate a new habit of looking for the positive. And the first step is to realize when you are thinking negatively. It may surprise you how many of those 60,000 thoughts that go through your mind every day are of the negative variety. Maybe when you catch yourself thinking negatively, you can turn it into a positive “goal.” Whatever it is, look closely for something that will turn you around when you see an edge. Focus on the fact that your outer world mirrors your inner world, so which way would you prefer to think? Create the habit of positive thinking.

A good tool for this is daily affirmations. These are sayings repeated daily to manifest a more positive reality. It is a way to harness the power of words for your benefit because your reality begins with a thought. It helps the mind down a more positive path. Just remember that the rule with affirmations is that they must be personal, present and positive, for example “today I achieve everything I want without effort” instead of “today I will not have any problems”. You can start with something simple like “I choose happiness” or “I create my own reality.” You can write them, say them, sing them, it’s up to you, but a minimum of six times a day is good.

As the saying goes, whether you tell yourself you can or can’t do something, you’re right. So what do you have to lose by thinking positive?

©Francis Hall