How to Develop Positive Thinking

Dr. Purushothaman
September 21, 2013

Positive thinking is one of the most popular topics nowadays. I guess it should be in such difficult times when people lose their jobs, fail in business, have problems in their relationships or simply have too low self esteem. Lots of books on the topic in bookstores only show an increasing need for the topic to be discussed thoroughly. The most important question would not be what positive thinking is as most people know the answer, but rather how to develop it and practice on a daily basis. This article deals with that.

First of all, positive thinking is nothing more than an attitude which is your deliberate choice. You decide to think positively or negatively about any aspect of life. Your decisions rule your life and your decisions are based on your thinking patterns. So, how are those thinking patterns developed? I think if you analyze your way of thinking you will notice that your thoughts are restricted to your beliefs. You will not think beyond your beliefs as your beliefs control all your life. So, if you believe you do not deserve a better job, you will never think of getting a better job, to say nothing of searching for it. But how do you form your beliefs if they are so important and control your whole life?

Well, it all starts from childhood from the words you hear, programs and films you watch, books and other printed materials you read and friends you communicate with. Communication is the exchange of ideas. When you listen or read some ideas whether they are positive or negative, you either agree to them and accept or disagree and reject them. So, those ideas either become yours or they will become strange to you (most probably forever). So, if some of your friends were sharing with you their failures and saying that they will never achieve anything they were actually sharing their beliefs and way of thinking that had become part of their lives and that type of thinking would direct their lives in the nearest future. So, I hope you now see how important a good attitude is.

I likewise want to stress that you are responsible for your beliefs. Even if you 'inherited' some negative attitude package from your parents it is never too late to get rid of it and form another way of thinking. Where do you start? You start from your reactions to things that happen to you and around you. Try to see everything in the positive light even if the thing in itself might be bad for you or other people. If you lost your job, try to imagine that it could have been worse, or that you are going to get a better one, or even start your own business and become financially independent. I would also recommend quitting reading materials that mostly share negative stories, criticism, crime, scandals as these pollute your thinking and eventually limit you. Read good motivational books, newspapers and watch programs that enrich your thinking and motivate you to achieve something significant in life.

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