The Benefits of Positive Thinking
By: Beth McHugh 2006
There are probably a thousand books available on the benefits of positive thinking and the use of affirmations. Affirmations are “affirmative” statements about yourself, such as “The interview will go fine. I will get this job!” Or “I am happy and calm. I am in control of my life”.
What’s wrong with Positive Thinking?
The problem with positive thinking is that, as most of us would know,
it doesn’t always work! How many times have we gone to a social
event and tried to convince ourselves that are we relaxed, that we are
the life and soul of the party, and that everyone wants to
talk to us because we are so lovable. Then we come home dejected from
having spent most of the evening scoffing dip and crackers in the corner,
having listened to the endless droning of the expert on sewerage treatment
methods who monopolized you for the entire evening.
Positive thinking can be a great way to change your life, but the idea is to choose very carefully the right positive statement to meditate upon. If, for example, you are a very shy person, it is quite unrealistic to tell yourself that you are extraverted and adore being the center of attention. Because the truth is you aren’t and you don’t. So, it doesn’t matter how dedicated you are at repeating your mantra or how many signs you have plastered around the house reminding yourself just how much like Steve Martin you are, when crunch time comes, you’ll find out very quickly that you are not Steve Martin after all. You are you.
Choose the right thought
The key to using positive thinking effectively is to choose an affirmation
that you actually believe. Getting back to the previous example,
the shy person knows all too well that they are shy. To tell yourself
repeatedly that you are not shy will achieve nothing but frustration.
However, the shy person does have other valuable attributes
that are of immense importance in a social situation. They may be great
listeners. Or, because of their own shyness, they may have the ability
to recognize a fellow traveler at a party and make them feel at ease.
Imagine how unpleasant a social gathering would be with a room full
of loud, back-slapping, egomaniacal extraverts who all just wanted to
be the star of the show?
The better affirmation for the shy person in this instance is: “I am a good listener and people value good listeners”. This resonates as true and is more likely to enable the shy person to feel less stressed about upcoming social events. In time, they may even come to see the truth—that the quiet, thoughtful person has just as important a role to play in everyday interactions than the confident extravert.
Positive thinking does work, you just need to exercise care in determining the right phrase for the job.
Visit
our forums to discuss this article
Back to Articles on Stress Management