Last week we had a very interesting discussion around optimism and pessism inspired by the Hellen Keller quote ,"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."
I think she is saying that no human has ever been able to achieve greatness without a positive attitude. The general consensus is that positive thinking is essential for us.
Our society has morphed into one that worries about everything. Most people spend more time worrying about all the potential negative things that they lose sight of what of is actually going on. So I ask how can we remain positive if we are always worried about negative outcomes. I would pose the conclusion that as long as we let our worries dominate our thoughts, we have allowed a pessimist attitude to take hold. This attititude won't ever let us shift to a positive and optimist outlook. Norman Vincent Peale seems to agree with me too :)
"A positive thinker does not refuse to recognise the negative, he refuses to dwell on it. Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions."[Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-19993
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
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I think worrying to some degree is healthy but most of us don't worry to a healthy degree. We allow it to add stress and anxiety to our lives and take over us. At this stage I believe optimism is only an illusion to this person and they are actually living a pessimistic lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteand if you agree that most people of us that have been overcome by doubt or worries are stuck on the pessimistic side of the spectrum, what steps can they take to bring positivity and optimism back into their lives
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to figure this out but you can train your brain the same way you can train your body. As someone who is a generally positive person, but has had run ins with depression, I've been on both sides of this discussion point. Negativity is similar to gaining weight around the holidays, it just creeps up on you. While it is hard to recognize when you are dwelling on thoughts, it only takes a half hour mind workout to overcome this. Are people "too busy" to take care of thier brain the way they care for thier bodies?
ReplyDeleteor do people simply assume that being positive should just come naturally as it does when we are children?
I believe that quote that a positive thinker does not dwell on positive thoughts. I believe that we all have those two little voices in our heads (being it 2 wolves or devil and angel; however you want to see it) but it is the one that you decide to feed the most that will dominate your thoughts and subsequent actions. I also believe in what Lauren said about training your mind. That is so important and the same idea of feeding that positive voice in your brain. In addition as we grow and learn about the world we begin to realise that there are dreadful happenings going on all around us as well as have some of our own experiences. Therefore we can become consumed with worry because our awareness is heightened. My advice: Stop feeding that angry wolf so much food! He's taking over all your positive thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, you and Norman Vincent Peale are bang on. I will go on to say that as children, we are remarkable beings, always looking around with eager eyes without ever being critical or judgmental. I believe that it all starts with the family circle. You have a far better chance at handling negativity if you were given the proper tools at home. Not to say that you cannot change a behavior. First there has to be an awareness, then an acknowledgment and finally the willingness to do the work. adl
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard to be an optimist when there is so much hatred in the world. It is said hatred which consumes us and then is spread around through everyday interactions infecting everyone else.
ReplyDeleteMike, I think the key is to not surround yourself with hatred. YOu know what they say, you will be become who you associate yourself with so I would make sure that you are always surrounded by positivity.
ReplyDeleteA lot of posts have spoken towards training our minds to not dwell on negative feelings and thoughts. I personally use my 4P's to mitigate disasters and stay positive. What techniques do any of you use??
Adl your comment on children is actually very interesting. Did you know that children have a much higher survival rate when dealing with deadly diseases than adults. Do you any of you think it can be attributed that they haven't been poisoned by our world to think negatively or do they have a greater aptitude for hope.
Speaking of hope, how much do you think that comes into play in ability to remain positive admist devastating times.
What type of leukemia do you have?
ReplyDeleteMy friend has ALL and is 44 days post transplant now
ReplyDeleteI think children are so successful in dealing with difficulties of all types (disease etc.)because their minds are still so elastic. As adults we have formed our thought patterns and need to be aware of them in the first place in order to change them.
ReplyDeleteI have ph+ ALL. I am 39 days post transplant now. How is your friend doing? If they ever want to chat they can email me at aaronofford@gmail.com. Also You and your friend should sign up for the email updates for this blog....there is a lot of great material and this way it all gets delivered directly to your inbox
ReplyDeleteI agree with the poster that training is vital for the mind as well as the body. Yoga, meditation, religious disciplines are ways that we humans have developed to do just that, and all can contribute to healthy mental environment.
ReplyDeleteThough, [quote] ...Did you know that children have a much higher survival rate when dealing with deadly diseases than adults. Do you any of you think it can be attributed that they haven't been poisoned by our world to think negatively or do they have a greater aptitude for hope. ....[/quote]
sounds as if this belongs to the currently popular cult of survive if you're positive. IMHO, children have an advantage of being a growing organism, not a dying one, ie they more easily replace damaged cells, etc, because their factory is operating at full capacity. Conversely, they have perhaps more potential for critical damage from treatment that affects unfinished or more vulnerable systems.
So, no, I do not think that the deciding factor of increased child survival is attributable at all to their emotional state, per se.
-anon2
Anon2,
ReplyDeleteI had never considered the arguement that children's bodies are still growing. It is a very interesting and fascinating concept and could also probably also explain why young adults usually respond well to treatments compared to their older counterparts.
Although I don't subscribe to the cult of you will survive if you are positive because lets face cancer doesn't really apply a filter when choosing who it takes from us. I do believe though that positivity helps free the mind of many of the self imposed prisons patients can fall into when undergoing treatments.
Without that "healthy mental environment" the patient can't focus properly on their role in their recovery process.