Positive or Negative — Think About It! – Part 1

I’d like to start out by asking you a couple of questions. Have you ever gone a whole day with hearing nothing but positive conversations or news? Or, how about yourself thinking and being positive for a whole day? How about a half of a day? I would venture to say, it is highly unlikely. It’s kind of hard when we are surrounded with negativity shooting its arrows at us from every angle on a daily basis. What do you think this does to our psyche?

Let’s face it — we live in a negative world. It seems like it is so much easier to gripe about something or bring out the dirt on someone than it is to praise (express warm approval or admiration of) someone or something. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the media. And especially now with the current political season we are in, (sigh) there is definitely no shortage of anger, total exasperation, mudslinging, and downright hate being slung to and fro. Or, how about the work place? How many people do you find hanging around the “water cooler “ discussing the good qualities of their co-worker or the boss? Ouch!

Now I’m not saying that you have to be a Pollyanna — you remember her don’t you? She was the bubbly fictional character in the popular 1960 Disney movie who played the “glad game” trying to find something to be glad about in every situation. But neither is it a good idea that you are known to resemble Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh) either, the gloomy, depressed donkey who always sees his glass to be half-empty instead of half-full.

Yes, I know that Eeyore is a cute and lovable character in the cartoon but let’s be honest, the cuteness and lovability factor does not exactly transfer well when we are talking about real live human beings does it? Whereas someone with a Pollyanna approach to everything in life can get somewhat irritating and even insensitive at times, people who exhibit an ever present negative outlook on life (Eeyore) can be a real downer and not exactly someone fun to hang around with either.

To be realistic we know that if you are alive and breathing we are going to run into situations on a daily basis that will require a response from us. There definitely are times when taking the Pollyanna approach would seem insensitive in some circumstances. For example, you wouldn’t skip into a funeral home and high five everyone and mindlessly tell the grieving party to “Buck up, you’ll be all right” as they are grieving the loss of a loved one. But hopefully on the other hand you wouldn’t shuffle up to the grieving party either and say, “ Hey, it could be worse, I don’t know how but it could.” Yikes!

Abraham Lincoln once said, “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.” Wow, isn’t that the truth! I believe that you could apply that quote also to mean if you are always looking for the bad in every situation you will surely find it. Why not turn the phrase into “If you look for the good in people or life situations you will surely find it.”

There are considerable benefits to positive thinking — Not only mentally but physically as well. Below is a list of some of the health benefits positive thinking may provide according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Researchers are not really sure why people who practice positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook helps you to cope better with stressful situations. That in turn reduces the harmful health effects that stress plays on your body. Another speculation is that maybe positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles (more physical activity, eat a healthier diet, don’t smoke or drink alcohol in excess).

Now you might be thinking, “Well, that’s all sounds good but how do you live in this negative world but remain positive?” First of all, let me just say I am definitely not saying to turn a blind eye to anything negative and pretend it doesn’t exist. That would be foolish if not delusional and accomplish nothing.

Here’s what positive thinking is all about. Acknowledging both negative and positive events but choosing to focus on the positive aspects rather than the negative ones. It is not avoiding or ignoring a negative event but dealing with it by allowing the appropriate amount of time for the negative emotions to surface and then moving on from it by focusing on the positive.

So I ask you, as a general rule, how do you find yourself thinking and expressing yourself or reacting to situations in your life? Do you find yourself leaning more toward the Pollyanna character or do you find yourself emulating someone such as Eeyore? Is your glass half-empty or half-full? Or, maybe you’ve gotten to the point where you can’t even find your glass.

How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic. It also may reveal how it might be affecting your health. In part two of this blog I am going to give you some ideas on how to incorporate more positive thinking into your life. But in the meantime if you would like some help in stepping away from negative thinking and moving it in a more positive direction I encourage you to call me at (616) 516-1570 or contacting me by clicking on the blue “Contact” tab in the lower righthand corner of each page.