Practically Positive

"Through my own experience, I learned that striving for a positive mental attitude will get you nowhere unless you have the ammunition to back it up. You develop a positive mental attitude by being prepared, by understanding the realities of what it takes to succeed, and by being good at the necessary techniques. It's a cycle: The more prepared the person is, the more positive his attitude, and, therefore, the better his chances of succeeding." - Robert J Ringer

The "Positive Thinking" industry has many promoters and adherents, and in many cases the idea is presented that thinking positively  has beneficial effects on it's own. While it is clear that being positive regarding one's own potential can result in better self-esteem, increased motivation and greater confidence, it is difficult to see whether this positive attitude brings any sustainable benefits if it is not converted to action.

I call it "Cloud Cuckoo Land" thinking if people merely believe that "everything's gonna be alright' and don't do anything to support that belief. Belief must lead to action if one is to achieve anything at all. Just thinking it cannot change anything - that is religion, not reality. 

In the real world, events do not 'just happen' - something causes things to happen, and practical positive thinking means having a positive attitude, but recognising that benefits will only be derived when we take an active role in proceedings rather than passively believing and hoping.

In many cases, people believe in themselves to a point well beyond their own potential; we are not all equal, and often people fail to take into account the reality of their own weaknesses or lack of ability in certain areas. This is simply denial. Practical positive thinkers take steps to correct weak areas and invest the time and energy in learning about areas where they lack ability, and practice, practice, practice...

Achievers in many different fields have stressed that the 'blood, sweat and tears' involved in great exploits were of much greater significance than the ideas that initiated them. Thinking is a start, not an end in itself. 

Once the process of taking action begins, there are inevitably obstacles that life places in the way. It is here that many ventures fail, because people have not envisaged anything going 'wrong' - practical people recognise that it's seldom that any initiative goes smoothly throughout. Remaining positive through difficult times is not about smiling and believing that 'things will work out' - it's about doing 'whatever it takes' to correct the situation. 

At other times, being positive may be realising that failure is not a person, it is an event, and that there are lessons in even the worst failures that one can apply to the next venture. Remaining positive about an enterprise that is doomed to failure is unrealistic and may be downright stupid - practically positive people cut their losses, learn the lessons, and move on...

Starting again often places the greatest demands on our ability to remain positive, and the challenge is to discard the failures of the past and carry the lessons forward without dragging the emotional residue with us. I often say to people that the past is in the past, and since we do not live there, it makes no sense to bring it into our present.

Being practically positive is about believing in oneself, but believing in one's ability to prepare, to learn, to do whatever is necessary to succeed, not just engage in wishful thinking, which may be nothing more than a false hope.

D (just call me D)

justd@justd.ws

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