The difference in actually being positive and just thinking positive is GINORMOUS! Allow me to explain.

Let’s say a problem pops up into your day. To make it more concrete, let’s use the the example of losing your job. Imagine for a second that you lose your job. You immediately are upset, confused, and start worrying about the future. These are all very normal, valid reactions and I am not in any way saying that you should not allow yourself to feel those emotions if you need to. In all of your worry, anger, doubt, and confusion you try to break yourself out of it. You start saying to yourself, “self, you need to thinking positive about this situation.” You may recall some exercises that have helped you in the past and you start writing down good things that may come from your situation: I will get to spend more time with my family, I will get to go back to school, I will get to explore new career opportunities.

This is a very healthy way to view the situation, no doubt. In fact, if most people could view that particular situation in that manner, they world would be a better place. But, that is still only thinking positive about losing your job. You will probably have to work hard to snap yourself out of worrying. There is still an even better way to handle a disappointment.

Now imagine hearing the news that you lost your job, and although you are shocked, you are at peace with your situation right from the start. You don’t drain yourself by going through all the motions of being upset. You KNOW that everything will work out okay. You KNOW that when one door closes another (usually better) door opens. You KNOW that God is in control and that there may be lessons and experiences you need in order to become the person that you are supposed to be. You KNOW that you and your family will be okay. In your heart there is no pressure or weight of a thousand bricks pressing on you.

Doesn’t the second example sound like a better response to any bad situation? So what makes the second response of actually being positive so much better?

The second response is a better response because the faster that you are at peace with a situation, the faster you will be able to productively move on. The person in example number 2 is likely to be able to pull themselves together faster and see opportunities that the first person may miss because. The first person is also much more likely to be in his/her own head a lot and reacting from the ego. This may consist of replaying the event over and over in their head, still feeling bitter or angry, or worrying. If the person could clear their head and be at peace with the situation, they would have a clear channel of receiving ideas and have a constant flow of creativity. This is a much more productive way to spend the brain’s energy and thoughts. It is also likely to get the person out of the situation faster.

So how do you go from thinking positive to being positive?
Thinking positive requires the knowledge and awareness that thinking positive has benefits over thinking negatively. This is a much better situation by far than thinking negatively, giving up, and being defeated. But, if you want to go from just thinking positive to being positive, you must back your positive thoughts up with FAITH. Faith is the missing ingredient of people who have to constantly remind themselves of why they should think positive that people who are positive have.

If you can’t seem to be positive about a situation, keep thinking positive. It’s okay to have to force faith and positivity at first. If you pull yourself out of enough situations by thinking positive, it will condition you to eventually be positive. One day a situation, that would have at one time, really shaken you up and caused worry won’t affect you at all. Then you will truly be positive.

In the meantime, simply be aware that there is a step above merely thinking positive and challenge yourself to get there.