Positive Thinking

This IRIS is named, "I Feel Good."  

(Taken from the Iris garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.)

 

There are lots of things in life that give us power. 

One of the most successful of those is the ability to practice positive thinking. 

Thinking is an activity that occurs in your mind.  It is a choice!  You can actually choose to think or not to think.  Sometimes we just run around in circles and don’t really think at all.  Then there are times we actually think something to death.  Is there such a thing as thinking too much?  In the first case, thoughtlessly, we usually run amuck.  Something dreadful (or at least not good) finally happens as a result of our thoughtlessness.  Then we whine, “Oh, what was I thinking?”  In the latter case, the thinking process runs wild and takes over.  Every perspective, every possible outcome, and every possible action become a circus of chaos in our minds.

This definition of thought comes from Wikipidia, The Free Encyclopedia:

Thought generally refers to any mental or intellectual activity involving an individual's subjective consciousness. It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness, and imagination.[1] Because thought underlies almost all human actions and interactions, understanding its physical and metaphysical origins, processes, and effects has been a longstanding goal of many academic disciplines including, among others, biology, philosophy, psychology, and sociology.

Thinking allows beings to make sense of or model the world in different ways, and to represent or interpret it in ways that are significant to them, or which accord with their needs, attachments, objectives, plans, commitments, ends and desires.             

                                                                                                                                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought

Here’s a simpler approach.  I’ve heard of lots of different kinds of thinking:

1.       There’s thinking with your stomach, usually affects my diet big time. 

2.       There’s thinking with your brain.  That means factual or scientific type exercises. 

3.       I love thinking with my heart, but have found that can be pretty precarious.

4.       Thinking with your big toe.  I learned this from Gary, it’s about humorous thinking.

5.       Thinking with your gut.  Based on perceptions from the past and current.

6.       Negative thinking, always perceiving the worst.

7.       Positive thinking, always perceiving the best.

Being a nurse for forty-five years, I think I’ve encountered lots of different kinds of thinkers.   And it gets complicated because no one is actually just one specific type.  There are lots of combinations, like the scientific guy who always tries to be funny.  Or the gal who’s always thinking the worst from her heart.  It’s really difficult to try to get someone to change how they think about something.  Politicians are spending millions of dollars this year just for that. 

I started thinking about this after an incident that happened at Sunday lunch.  Three adults were having conversation about a somewhat controversial topic.  Controversial, of course, depending on how you look at it.  A very quiet and observant thirteen year old was present, not participating in the conversation, but very attentive.  The conversation took several turns.  Then it kind of lagged, seemed like everyone had their say and the thirteen year old spoke up.  “Doris, do you always try to look at the positive side of things?  It seems like you do……….?”  I had to literally stop and think how to answer this young thinker.  Feeling very complimented, I was inclined to say something like ‘Oh yes, I always do’.  But I was hoping to make it one of those learning kind of moments for her.  So, I said, “I’ve found that it always works out better in life to try.”

I doubt if the thirteen year old instantly changed how she thinks.  But I’m hopeful that in the future she will stop and consider what may be a more positive way to consider something in her thoughts.

What man says about thinking:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
― Henry Ford

“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.” ~Voltaire

“Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.” ~Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

“Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” ~Winnie the Pooh

“Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” ~John F. Kennedy

&

What God says about thinking:

Philippians 4:8
Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.

Matthew 23:23
“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You give one-tenth part of your spices, and have not done the most important things of the Law, such as thinking what is right and wrong, and having pity and faith. These you should have done and still have done the other things also.

Romans 12:3
God has given me His loving-favor. This helps me write these things to you. I ask each one of you not to think more of himself than he should think. Instead, think in the right way toward yourself by the faith God has given you.

So, what do you think?

 

Copyright 2012 Doris Grant Frey