There’s been a lot of talk over the last few decades about the power of positive thinking, the law of attraction, and other similar topics. Can they really help you gain everything you want in life? Is there some magical, mystical force at work that can help us “think” our dreams and desires into reality?
The first thing most people want to know about this is, “Is it real? Does it really work?” It’s natural to be skeptical. Most people are, and that’s healthy. But if you’re too skeptical, it’s possible they won’t work for you.
You see, a healthy dose of skepticism is a good thing. It’s not smart to believe just anything that comes along. But you need a little faith in your life if you’re going to be able to use these techniques effectively.
That’s not to say you can necessarily develop “faith”. You either have it, or you don’t. You can develop it to some degree, but perhaps not to the point where these methods can be particularly effective.
Faith is a very important aspect of these methods, and I will explain why in later sections. For now, just realize that if you truly don’t believe these methods have any chance to work, then they probably don’t – at least for you.
However, if you have an open mind and you believe in at least a slight possibility that these techniques could work, then they very well could be a crucial key to making your dreams come true.
The Power of Positive Thinking
The power of positive thinking is exactly what it sounds like. By thinking positive thoughts, you can influence yourself to make things happen. This technique involves reaching into yourself and changing your thought processes.
Let’s say two people are trying to complete the same difficult task. Both people are equally intelligent and equally skilled. One of those people has a positive mental attitude. They are confident that they can complete the task. The other is full of anxiety and self-doubt. They are worried they can’t do it.
Who do you think will probably be able to complete the task fastest, and with fewer mistakes? Chances are very good that the confident individual would finish first, and with better quality work.
Why? It’s simple. People make mistakes when they are stressed out. When they are upset, depressed, frustrated, or angry, they have a harder time dealing with things.
How many times have you been trying to do something and you got very frustrated or even angry? Did you find it harder to get it done? Maybe you were trying to repair something and you kept dropping your tools, and the more it happened, the angrier you got. And of course, the angrier you got, the more it happened.
Negativity affects you in many ways, but it can make it extremely difficult to get things done. When you think negative thoughts, it will often affect your behavior without you even realizing it.
Instead, you must focus on thinking positively. Whenever negative thoughts enter your mind, you have to learn to push them right back out again, or replace them with a positive thought.
In a later section, I’m going to give you a few examples of negative thoughts, as well as the positive thoughts you could replace them with. You will learn how to eliminate negativity from your life in order to improve it.
For now, you should just realize that the power of positive thinking most definitely does work. It works by changing your attitude toward a situation. This opens your mind to getting more done, to completing tasks easier, and to having the confidence it takes to make things happen.
So, can it help make your dreams come true? Most definitely! When you are happier, more confident, and more capable, you can accomplish a lot more. And there’s no “magic” in that!
The Law of Attraction
The law of attraction is, in some ways, similar to the power of positive thinking. You must think positive thoughts and try to eliminate negative thoughts in order for it to work.
However, instead of working solely based on thinking positive thoughts, it requires you to actually imagine yourself as already having whatever it is you desire.
With the power of positive thinking you would say, “I know I can become wealthy.” With the law of attraction, you would close your eyes and imagine what your life would be like if you were already wealthy. You would picture yourself living in the home of your dreams, taking the vacation you’ve always wanted, or owning everything you’ve always hoped to own.
There are two theories as to why this may work. One group says there are magnetic forces all around us. If you think positive thoughts, you attract things to you like a magnet. If you think negative thoughts, you repel them – pushing them further and further away.
The other group claims that the theory is good in principle, but only because it works on the same principle as the power of positive thinking. If you think positive thoughts, good things naturally happen.
If you’re skeptical about the theories regarding mystical energy flows and magnets, it’s understandable. Many people have a hard time grasping the concept, and for those people, it can sometimes hinder their use of the methods.
However, you don’t have to believe in the mystical side of it to actually take advantage of the techniques. Like the power of positive thinking, the law of attraction can work simply by helping you turn negative thoughts into positive ones.
Let’s say you lost your job and now you are homeless. Most people who are homeless are constantly thinking negative thoughts. It’s natural. Most people in a situation that bad would feel negative.
They think things like:
- “Why me?”
- “This sucks. I will be homeless forever!”
- “Man, why is everyone else warm and cozy in a home, and I’m freezing on the streets?”
Those are negative thoughts. They put that person into a constant state of depression. When you are depressed and angry, it’s hard to get anything done. How can you change your situation when you feel hopeless? You can’t. Unless you change your thinking, you’re stuck!
However, if that person would spend some time each day imagining themselves with a good job they really enjoyed, living in a lovely home, their bills paid and food on the table, they would probably feel a little more hope. In fact, the more often they pictured it, the more real it would become to them.
Once their brain finally began to see that situation as “possible”, they would probably become passionate about making it happen. Because their brain finally believes it really is possible to have that kind of life again, they can shift out of their negative mode and into a positive one.
Someone who is depressed and negative cannot function well. Many people who are severely depressed cannot even get out of bed! But when you begin to picture yourself in a better position and your brain begins to believe it could happen, you will work much harder to make it happen.
I don’t know which group is right. What I do know is that the law of attraction certainly does work. Whether there are invisible energy forces at work, or just good old fashioned brain training, the law of attraction can make a difference in your life!
Eliminate Negativity
As you have learned, eliminating negative thoughts from your life is the cornerstone of both the power of positive thinking and the law of attraction. But how do you do that? How can you think positive thoughts and move away from the negative?
Well, it’s easy. You have to start turning your thoughts on their ears. Learn to take a negative thought and spin it into a positive one. I’m going to give you a few examples you can use to turn negative thoughts into positive.
Negative Example #1: “Why did HE get the promotion? It’s not fair!”
Positive Response: “I wish I had gotten that promotion, but I will work even harder this year, and next year I will get one.”
Negative Example #2: “I’m so tired of being poor! When will this end?”
Positive Response: “I would like to be wealthy, so I will work harder to save money, spend less, and get more done at work.”
Negative Example #3: “I give up! I’ll never get this right!”
Positive Response: “I haven’t gotten it right, yet. But if I keep trying, I surely will very soon.”
Negative Example #4: “I’m so stupid. Why did I do that?”
Positive Response: “I made a mistake and I feel bad, but I’m going to use this as a learning opportunity so I never make the same mistake again.”
As you can see from these examples, it’s easy to turn a negative statement into one that is more positive. You don’t even have to believe the positive statement when you say it. If you repeat it a few times, you will often begin to believe it.
Affirmations
One way to begin to believe things is through affirmations. This is a type of visualization you can use to get your brain to believe something is true. This can really work.
Have you ever heard the saying “Tell someone they are stupid often enough and soon they will believe it”? It’s very true. If the brain hears the same thing over and over, pretty soon it begins to accept that statement as fact. This is even truer if the statement comes directly from you!
Start a list of affirmations. This will be a list of things you want to have happen in your life. You will say these affirmations to yourself at least once each day for as long as it takes to start believing them. Many people find it helpful to say them into a mirror, as it seems to make it easier to absorb them.
Here are some examples:
- “I am smart, capable, and strong. I can do anything.”
- “I am worthy of a promotion. I am a hard worker, and I do a great job.”
- “I will sell a car today. I will go to work, use all of my best sales techniques, and I will close at least one sale!”
Make your list and say it whenever you can. Say it out loud. It works much better when you do it aloud. If possible, say these again whenever you’re faced with a situation that makes you feel stressed out or you feel a lack of confidence.
This is sometimes called “psyching yourself up”. You have probably seen people do this on television, in movies, or even in real life. Have you ever seen someone quietly repeating something like, “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”
That is a type of affirmation. People do it because it works! By using affirmations, you can turn negative situations and feelings into positive ones. You can give yourself more confidence, strength, and the ability to get through any situation.
Give it a try!