The book The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale is worth a scan regardless if you are already a positive thinker; and certainly read it if you are not. It focuses on the power of thought and most of us could use a course on taking control of our thought processes. In today’s world we want to control the things that we can’t but neglect the things w e acutally have power over. Yes, you have power to direct your thoughts. If you don’t like the events in your life, how about changing them? Nothing happens overnight. With time you can retrain your brain to think better. Skeptical minds must pause and give the alternative process a chance to prove their worth. Thought can do many things like build character, enhance health, attract success. Just the practice of having better, happier thoughts will lift your spirits.
It’s not “magic” or any New Age theory but just making a decision not to entertain thoughts that do you damage. One example is that when someone is rude to you then we tend to play the episode over and over, thus growing the bad thought by feeding into it’s need for attention. The bad thought sprouts like a vine, It spreads to more bad thoughts which intensify and even stretch out to others around you. It’s like a cancer. However, you are human and have every right to feel. When someone is rude and hurts you, feel it-but quickly move the thought to a better one. Let the good thought be the one that buds and grows out to you and the people around you.
Take it from an optimist in training, small steps are the key to making any change stick. The idea of happy thoughts outweighing negative ones sound good. However, getting them to present themselves more often than not seems too good to be true. If you don’t try you will never know what you might be missing. If it doesn’t work at least you were happy while you gave it a try. -pm