Negative or Positive?
Feb 27th, 2008 by spaceagesage
My long-time study into human nature is complete … in one area anyway… OK, OK, at least into my human nature.
The votes are in, the measurements made, the research done. The results reveal themselves in these quotes:
- “The last of human freedoms – the ability to chose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” Viktor E. Frankl
- “When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.” Abraham Lincoln
- “If you want to beat a dog, you are sure to find a stick.” Yiddish saying
- “You become what you think about most of the time.” Brian Tracy
- “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.” Richard Bach
- “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” Norman Vincent Peale
- “Change your thoughts, change your life.” Dr. Wayne Dyer
- “Man’s real life is happy, chiefly because he is ever expecting it to be so.” Edgar Allan Poe
- “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” William James
- “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
I like the way Tracy puts it in another quote: “It is not what happens to you but how you think about what happens to you that determines how you feel and react.” That is worth re-reading.
I have heard these kind of “think it; do it” thoughts since the 1970s, but could only glimpse them through a “mirror darkly.” I remember wishing these things were true and trying desperately to make them work for me, but my mind and heart were not ready to receive them at the time. My doubts overrode my attempts. My upbringing told me that things in life can never come that easy. My cynical, sarcastic need to play devil’s advocate ripped to shreds any positive thinking I might generate.
Only now, in my 48th year, have I had enough of my negativity. I hit my bottom in this addiction to seeing the downsides of anything first. I am tired of my mind popping up with sarcastic viewpoints. I no longer need doubt to be my constant companion. I really don’t want these words in my life, “It won’t work.”
It took me almost 5 decades of living to realize such negativity puts me at odds with myself, with others, and with God. The word “resistance” sums up my life. The phrase, “No thanks, I can handle it,” sums it up, too.
I thought being negative protected me from potential emotional hurt or embarrassment. I thought by seeing the worse-case scenario first, I could anticipate hurts and avoid them.
But if all those wise folks quoted above are right, then thinking about the worse-case scenario so much made it more likely to happen. By thinking “It won’t work out,” I helped create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Now all those cynical folks out there reading this are thinking, “Whoa there. Do you really think Pollyanna thinking, rose-colored glasses, and such feel-good stuff is gonna work? Come on!”
We sure could enjoy the rest of our lives much better if we could find meaning in those quotes at seventeen. In our young days we are sponges, and we do not know how to think yet.
We are so busy absorbing life experiences, and imitating the life of others we think are neat, we have not started living our own life yet.
We have to experience some big bumps to understand we have only been living a summed life we have seen various others lead, and have yet to try out our own life.
Another good post. Very inspiring… Hopefully I will learn it soon enough.
Michael: Yes, in our younger days we seem to lack the spice of wisdom and seasoning that comes with age. However, I know some young people who are wiser than some older folks. I also know that you start living your life when you decide to do so. Living fully engaged, fully passionate, fully authentic — or whatever you want to call it — can start any day.
Jennifer — Thanks. Why wait to learn it “soon enough?” Decide today to take one little itty bitty step in the direction you want to go. Do the same tomorrow. Start a habit at a small level first, and it will create its own foundation for further action. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
I waited until my 40s to change my life for the better. Anyone can wait that long if they want, but my wish with this blog is that my readers learn a few shortcuts. My husband says, “I don’t like learning things the hard way. I like learning from other people who learned it the hard way, SO I DON’T HAVE TO!”
I haven’t read your blog in a week or so, so I didn’t realize you responded to my comment.
You’re right.
I have been taking small steps forward, but the reason I said “soon enough” was because of the feelings I get and the fact that I keep losing sight of things.
But I’m still sticking to it. 🙂
Jennifer — Good for you and thanks for stopping by!
Did you know you can track your own comments? On your blog site, Click on “My Dashboard” and then “My Comments” (not just “Comments”)and the most recent comments that you have left in posts show up in a thread format. WordPress.com devised this to help people follow a discussion they may have joined with commenting.
Yeah, I figured it out not too long ago. lol