Be Positive – You have the power to choose your attitude. Choose to be optimistic and see the possibilities. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Optimism creates energy and energy creates success.

Positive thinking: Positively Ridiculous?

For all those glass half-empty types, let’s dive right into the negative side of this fundamental: reasons why a positive mental attitude doesn’t work. (For glass half-fullers: don’t worry, there will be a rebuttal):

1. Negative thinking is more realistic.

2. Positive thinking won’t change the reality of things, and positive thinkers have no clue about the real world.

3. Positive thinkers are annoying and cheesy.

All valid points and thoughts. Best of all, they are all true! OK then:

Negative thinking is more realistic. “I’m not negative; I’m practical.” or, “I’m just being realistic.” Ever heard this? Ever said this?

Here’s how that statement is true:

Negative thinking is ONLY more realistic if negative thinking is your reality. 

A person’s thoughts, whether positive or negative, do have an effect on their environment. If you think negatively, your mind will automatically seek out confirmation that the world is a terrible place. Seeing is believing, and your mind reinforces your belief that reality is negative.

Positive thinking won’t change the reality of things, and positive thinkers have no clue about the real world. 

Right again!! Positive thinking won’t magically solve your problems, any more than eating healthy alone will magically make you strong and fit. It’s merely the fuel you need to make things happen.

Everyone who accomplishes anything – whether it’s earning a million dollars or becoming an award-winning actor – accomplish it the same way: by taking action.  

Positive people have an edge because they believe the object of their desire is attainable. In fact, some positive thinkers cannot imagine a scenario where they would fail at something. They come from a ‘can-do’ mindset. Jim Carrey once called it “the insane belief in [his] own ability to succeed.” Their actions are not based on fear or scarcity, but based on possibilities. Thus, a positive attitude helps a person manifest their desires, not simply by dreaming about it, but by inspiring the person to take action.

The truth is positive thinking doesn’t ignore the problem; it helps you see the problem in a new light. In fact, you don’t even see ‘problems’ as problems, because a positive mental attitude creates a mindset of abundance, enthusiasm, and solutions.

Positive thinkers are annoying and cheesy. 

This is true too! The type of positive thinkers who don’t want to hear anything bad and always turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to any sign of trouble ARE annoying AND cheesy.

Truly positive people are not annoying because they have real setbacks and they do get discouraged. The difference between this truly positive person and everyone else is that s/he is solution based. So no matter what is going on in his or her world, s/he is thinking of how to work through the problem, how to get past the setback, and how to achieve his or her ultimate goal, whatever that may be.

Why is a Positive Attitude Important?

You don’t have to have a positive attitude to be in a leadership role, and you don’t even have to have it to lead. But you’ve definitely got to have a positive attitude if you want to lead successfully for an extended period of time.  When people see that their leader believes and strives hard toward accomplishing a task, they will do the same. Imagine, if a single believer can make something happen, then how much more can a team of believers do?

As usual, we can utilize fundamental no. 5 here and get clear on expectations. A positive attitude does NOT require you to be a pom-pom toting cheerleader or an always smiling “yes man” who ignores challenges and thinks that attitude alone will carry the day. It is something deeper that can be shown in your actions in a personal way; it doesn’t require you to live a stereotype. Positive attracts, and it creates productivity. Think of yourself as someone who is in the “energy business”. Believe that whatever energy you bring into work, it will be noticed and amplified. Believe that everyone is relying on your positive thinking and motivation to get through the day.

Attitude is important—but it takes effort!!

Attitude is important, but it will not keep anything from happening to you.  It will help you deal with what happens to you but it will not keep anything from happening to you.  So, while it is important it is not everything.

Attitude alone will not change things.  Effort changes things, thoughts change things, words change things, and more importantly results change things.  Again, remember this; it is what you think about, talk about, and most notably do something about that comes about. The combination of those three things in conjunction with a positive attitude is how change comes about.

“It’s the action behind the attraction that makes the dream come true.“

–Napoleon Hill