Everybody knows that Positive Thinking is important. It helps motivating people by spreading this cheerful can-do attitude that everybody needs in challenging times. Yes indeed. But going deeper into the concept: why is Positive Thinking so important?
Here are the 3 reasons that I see as the true and most important ones.
Convincing yourself that you can do it
When you say No, you think No. When you say Yes, you think Yes.
As simple as it may seem, your mindset is influenced by your actions. Because when you think about something – positive or negative – the parts of the brains used to put these actions in motion are actually activated as if you were doing that thing that you are thinking about. As a result, thinking in positive terms will force your brain to believe that the thing you are thinking about can or cannot happen and will or will not happen. It will orientate your brain to make these things happen or not happen depending on the direction of your thoughts.
Saying No keeps you fixated on all the reasons why it is difficult to get things done, instead of encouraging you to find ways to lift all the barriers. Saying Yes brings your own brain in the mindset of thinking that anything is possible.
Mirroring your positive thinking on others
When you say No, others hear No. When you say Yes, others hear Yes.
This is also a simple concept that everybody has experienced in one way or another. If the impact of the mirror thinking is hard to conceptualize on others (since you don’t necessarily know what others think), think about it as the recipient of the mirror thinking. Remember that time when you were full of energy to get something done, and just because your boss or an influential peer of yours was beaten from the start, you ended up demotivating yourself and dropping your brilliant idea… Think how frustrating it is to battle against Mr No.
On the contrary, think about how inspiring it is to work with those guys who always believe in achieving more and more without boundaries. Think about that breath of fresh air that you feel when you see your colleagues smiling around you, and coming on the office with an energetic Good Morning that promises a bright day.
Well, the same applies on others when they read and feel your own behavior. If you are Mr No, people around you will become detractors of any new idea, only focusing on the reasons why it is hard to do that thing that you want to get done; if you are Mr Yes, people influenced by you will want to embrace change and overcome any challenge, only focusing on how to overcome obstacles rather than being blocked by them.
Becoming a windmill in your organization
Once you have convinced yourself that anything is possible, and that your own mindset has dyed on others who then believe so as well, you start to become what I call a windmill in your organization. You are a driving force who can create the energy required to drive real transformation: transformation of the processes, transformation of the organization, transformation of the people around you.
Being a windmill also requires to be adaptable. If you are a windmill positioned against the wind, you will not generate any energy. So in order to become a windmill, besides your own positive thinking, you have to think about finding the direction of the wind, so that you can influence others and transform your organization.
How to find the direction of the wind and become that windmill? This is precisely what Resistance is Existence is about… Read the book and find out how !
The Process Excellence String of Ariadne 