Positive Thinking

My friend Jill shared this video on Facebook this week.  I loved it and decided to share it again here:
http://youtu.be/qR3rK0kZFkg

When I watched the movie and read the book, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrnes about six or seven years ago something clicked for me.  She was telling us that the power of positive thinking was real.  So real in fact that you could manifest positive results in your life by practicing it.  I found myself smiling, nodding my head, and taking notes that day.  I knew this was true.  I am not really sure how I knew, but I did.

Every day, every moment, we have a choice about the thoughts in our head, the words we say and the actions we take.  These thoughts, words and actions pave a path for us.  When we stay aware in our thoughts, words and actions then we have a choice to change them, to choose the ones that serve us, that serve our greatest good.  If we are checked out, unaware, unconscious, then something takes over.  I have heard this something called ego before in several books.  I am not sure if labeling it helps.  All I know is that if I check out, then some little voice in me takes over, and that voice is not always that helpful.  I have to check back in to turn it off.  I have to wake up and show up inside my own life, be aware.

The power of positive thinking is real.  We have to choose to practice it.  There are so many opportunities to go in the other direction.  So many things/people/events that bombard us with stress, negativity, suffering and pain.  We can choose to detach from these things and events, to not judge them or react to them, to stay positive, grounded, centered, and aware.

One of the worst things that ever happened to me career wise was being "let go" from a job.  My entire self esteem and worth was obliterated with that one sentence from my boss.  I was drowning in the negativity and stress of the situation.  Until I made a choice to pursue another path.  Thanks to that choice I was able to move on to become an owner of my own business.  I spent a lot of time torturing myself in my own head about why I was fired, what that meant about me and my skills, and why someone would do something like that to someone like me.  Looking back, all those moments spent in self doubt were a waste of time.  There was something bigger, better and healthier waiting in the wings.  I just couldn't detach from the negative thoughts.

I have heard people who label others as a Pollyanna.  I think the Pollyanna's of the world are on to something.