Everything You Always Wanted to Know About B+

How do you see people who are habitually positive thinkers? Do you think they are a part of some weird species with foolish dreams in their mind, ignoring the hard realities of life completely? Or does it sound like interesting stuff to you theoretically, but seems very complicated in practice. Or you may agree that positive thinking is good in practical life, but may have many questions about it, like:

• How do I find out if I am a positive thinker?
• If positive thinking is good for us, we would be naturally wired to be positive. Why all this effort?
• Are you telling me that nothing bad happens to those who think positive? Is it not a like a stock market bubble that is going to burst some day?
• Okay, I am convinced. How do I become a positive thinker?
• I have started being positive. But I still keep getting negative thoughts once in a while. How do I stop these?
• How far can my positive attitude alone can carry me? What lifeline do I have when faced with a extremely challenging situation in life on which I have little control? 

In this post, I will try to answer these questions. I will keep it short as I am writing it on a Friday evening. Initially thinking like a geek, I wanted to use the title "A FAQ on Being Positive", but I chose to reuse a popular phrase to catch your attention :)

How do I find out if I am a positive thinker?
Chances are that you may not know if you are a positive thinker or negative thinker. To find it out, observe yourself for a few days. Do not control your thoughts. Think and behave as you would do normally, but stay in touch with yourself and observe your behavior closely. Make a list of positive and negative phrases for yourself. You can start with the following list and extend it:

Positive              Negative
Yes                      No
Will try               Impossible
Good                   Bad
Hopeful               Hopeless
Luckily                Bad luck as usual                
Like                     Hate             
I look forward     No point
Exciting               Boring

Now pay attention to the language you use in every day life and count the occurrence of the above phrases. If you tend to use words on the left list more often, you are a positive thinker, else you may be a negative thinker.

If positive thinking is good for us, we would be naturally wired to be positive. Why all this effort?
Unfortunately, we are not naturally wired to be a positive thinker. If we allow ourselves to drift freely, we are more likely to end up being a negative thinker. Positive thinking is a skill that you need to learn, just like you learn to speak a language. You work on it gradually and with regular effort and practice, it gets easier over time. It may feel uneasy initially, but you will find that if you do not give up, it become a natural habit with time. 


Are you telling me that nothing bad happens to those who think positive? Is it not like a stock market bubble that will burst some day and leave me disillusioned? 
Be assured that it is not a bubble that will burst, but a life skill that will change you forever. Having said that, do not think that nothing bad happens to a positive thinker. Bad news and bad times are scattered all around us and are as much a reality of life as happiness. The key difference is that as a positive thinker, you learn to look at it as a glass that is half full, not half empty. Armed with your positive approach, you also handle the adversity differently, in a much better way. One more factor is that you avoid the secondary trouble you may get into by worrying too much about your problems.



Okay, I am convinced. How do I become a positive thinker?
Its a very interesting journey. A good place to start is by reading inspirational books and articles (like this blog). Talk to positive people around you to exchange notes. Apply these ideas that you learn in your day-to-day life. In the beginning, catch yourself after you have said something negative and correct it immediately. Later on catch your negative thoughts and learn to switch them.   


I have started being positive. But I still keep getting negative thoughts once in a while. How do I stop these?
You do not need to aim for perfection. It is fine to have occasional negative thoughts. It is just like chillies in your food. A little amount of chilly does not harm, and can even spice up the food, but can you eat a meal full of chillies?

How far can my positive attitude alone can carry me? How do I face extremely challenging situation in life on which I have little control?  
Faced with tough situation, you may need to resort to lifelines. You have two lifelines in this game - Phone a Friend, and Ask Him. You can seek guidance from a like-minded friend or family member when faced with a huge challenge. Many times, talking about a problem leads to the solution popping out like a bread from a toaster. The ultimate lifeline available to you is Ask Him. Take your problems to the Almighty, and use your faith in Him to sustain your confidence. Above all, be assured that He will do what is in your best interest. 

Do you have more questions that are not covered in this post? Do let me know through comments.