The Truth About Positive Thinking (and how to get there)

On my path from a negative place in my life to positive thinking, I must thank the bad times. Those challenges spurred me into a transformation.

The truth about my path to positive thinking and living is this: I wouldn’t be where I am without the bad times. By accepting the negative, not rejecting it, by understanding the negative, not being ignorant of it, and by growing from the negative, not being stunted by it, I have changed for the better. As a result of this shift, I’ve been able to experience the real Power of Positivity in my life.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but our thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Correcting Course: Shifting from a Negative Place into a Life of Positive Thinking

Accepting the “Negative”

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher, Founder of Taoism

First, I had to accept the negative and not reject or ignore it. The fact is my life was, and is, imperfect, and our lives are imperfect. The key is accepting these thoughts, feelings, and events without judgment and self-criticism.

When I experience loss, I allow my heart to ache and the tears to flow.
I feel the anxiety and frustration when I experience disappointment.
When someone upsets me, I feel the anger and the resentment.

It’s human – we feel these things.

The key is not holding onto these emotions. Just feel them, allow them to pass, and move on. If you don’t give too much credence to any given feeling, they cannot grab ahold of you. Again, just move on.

In truly accepting the situation, I subsequently got rid of one of the most significant sources of unhappiness–the inability to accept things as they are. This inability is the crux of sadness for many people. But I realized that I could change my outlook by merely recognizing that the present is the only thing that exists.

By embracing the present situation, we steel our minds and bodies for action. We take on a warrior’s mentality – ready to take our blows, but never conceding defeat.
By accepting the negative things that happen, we can now begin to understand why they happen and how we can experience incredible growth and power as a result.

Allow and accept the bad things to happen. It’s not easy, but it’s a part of life and a crucial component to your growth as a human being.

Understanding the “Negative”

“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.” – Michael J. Fox

Understanding the bad things that happen to us is a crucial element in accepting them. Also, without understanding the negative, we could never take advantage of the situation and become a better person.

I began to understand the negative situation as temporary. In time, bad things that brought on negativity would pass. Even if it were a massive, looming problem, it would end soon.

Next, I began to understand how to deal with these adverse events in my life. I learned that to understand situations wholly. I had to deal with them without judgment or criticism of myself. Self-deprecation does nothing but add to the stress in making the situation more complicated.

Also, I began to understand that what I was experiencing had to be truly resolved. As humans, our nature immediately desires to either get rid of or ignore bad feelings and thoughts. However, by ignoring the negative, we are making it worse. The stress grows and takes its place within our subconscious, darkening our disposition.

I began to understand the bad thoughts and feelings as the energy that needed to be released. We were not created to be negative beings with darkness in our hearts. We must release this negative energy and allow goodness to fill its void. By releasing this negative energy, I eventually understood and appreciated the gratification of positive energy taking its place.

Flipping the Mindset from Negative to Positive

I began to understand that my frame of mind determines just how detrimental a situation is, and what I’m going to gain as a result. Instead of thinking of the situation as a problem, I began to think of it as an opportunity; an opportunity to become stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

In addition, I began to understand the power of reframing. This process explained how I could reprogram my mind to switch negative words into positive words, and a negative situation into a more favorable situation. If you can transform your thoughts and language, you will see the scenario differently and experience dramatically different results.

Finally, I understand that in order to experience and appreciate the positives, there have to be negatives. I’ve been through the struggle, turned problems into opportunities, and became a better person. I continue to be mindful of this fact every day.

Growing from the “Negative”

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

Through my trials and tribulations, I have grown into a better version of myself. I have transformed in literally every area, all from first changing my thoughts and then taking action.

And this opportunity for growth is where the exquisite nature of our human mind and spirit culminates into something so positive and powerful that it causes the negative forces of our universe to shudder.

Sure… we’ll get hurt, disappointed, even shattered… but we can resolve to become better, stronger, more powerful, more loving, more appreciative, more positive people. In other words, we can take a hurtful situation and grow into a better version of ourselves.

Human beings are the only creatures on the face of the Earth that can consciously take a negative, harmful situation and mold it into something that benefits themselves and their world.

Through acceptance of the negative elements as they become present (even prevalent) in our lives, and by understanding that through the experience of the negative, we can grow into a better people, Furthermore, we learn that we have the capability and the courage to handle any situation.