“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” –Oprah Winfrey
Every year, a slew of new books hits the shelves promising that we can think our way into perfect health, perfect relationships, perfect prosperity, and perfect lives.
It would be easy to dismiss these claims as nonsense, a bunch of baloney dreamed up by charlatan “New Age” gurus looking to make a quick buck without burdening themselves with formal scientific educations. The power of positive thinking, however, is not mere quackery. As more and more legitimate research is dedicated to studying the mind-body connection, scientists are discovering the true benefits of training your mind to be positive.
According to Harvard Medical School, “Mounting evidence from medical studies has indicated that people who think positively have a lower risk of dying of all causes compared with others their own age who have a gloomier view of life.” In the book Cure, veteran science journalist Jo Marchant discusses how several lines of scientific research are finding that “our mental perception of the world constantly informs and guides our immune system in a way that makes us better able to respond to future threats.”
You Are What You Think
There is an adage that whatever you think about most is the thing that controls your life. So, if you spend most of your time focused on negative thoughts—anger with others, fear that you will lose something you have or not get something you want, resentment over what others have that you do not or what you do for others versus what they do for you—you are controlled by negativity. Negativity, sooner or later, will show up in other parts of your life. It’s impossible to feel happiness and serenity with a head filled with angry, critical, or judgmental thoughts.
Often we are not even fully aware of our thoughts, or we don’t realize that they are negative. Our thinking becomes habitual; we become so accustomed to responding to situations with disdainful or judgmental thoughts that we don’t even register how these thoughts are informing our feelings and behavior.
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
According to the Harvard studies, the scientific community has identified practices that can help you create and sustain a positive attitude toward your future, which can help you have a brighter future. Here are a few that you can start to implement immediately, regardless of your circumstances:
- Practice gratitude. Whatever we focus on becomes the centerpiece of our lives. Choose to focus on gratitude and you will find more and more things for which to feel thankful. Besides making gratitude lists every morning, first thing, and every evening before bed, journal about how you feel as you reflect on gratitude. When anger, resentment, and other negative thoughts surface, read through your gratitude journal as a reminder that thoughts and feelings are choices we make moment by moment.
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is being completely present in the moment rather than thinking about something that already happened or something that might happen in the future. Many of us spend much of our time either worrying or having imaginary conversations that are unpleasant. Conditioning ourselves to be mindful stops the constant onslaught of judgmental thoughts and negative sensations. People who practice mindfulness often find they are less likely to think about worries or regrets, and they are less likely to dwell on concerns about success or materialism. Also, people who practice mindfulness report being able to forge deeper connections with loved ones. To practice mindfulness, focus on your breath, give your full attention to the tasks you are doing. Practicing mindfulness has other benefits too: When you move through your day deliberately, giving your full attention to what you are doing, you are less likely to trip, fall, or sustain other accidents. Being distracted by negative thoughts literally puts you at risk for injury and illness.
- Savor pleasure. Slow down and do things with more mindfulness. Eat slowly, tasting your food, chewing it fully. Speak slowly, paying attention to your words. Take leisurely walks if you are able and if your physician approves, and relish the scenery or the sky or the sound of birds trilling and children laughing. Feeling pleasure helps you maintain a positive attitude.
- Emphasize the positive. Resilience, or the ability to recover after setbacks, is associated with the willingness to find the silver linings of life.
For more information on how to focus on the positive, visit: https://www.lynnbraz.com/mind-your-eyes-ears-mouth/
