Why Is It So Tough To Be A Positive Thinker?
At first I was devastated that my positive thinking journey had failed. I still loved Peale’s book, but I realized that anyone with a great fear of uncertainty would have trouble staying positive. For example, you start a business with shining dreams and aspirations. You feel so positive until sales are low, employees quit, or the economy staggers, and then you begin to worry. You worry that things won’t get better. You worry that your dream is gone. You want to stay positive but the present is terrifying and based on that, your future seems bleak. Although some people can stay positive in such situations, those of us who fear uncertainty find it very hard to find hope in the unknown. When we don’t know how things will work out or whether they will get better, we feel distraught and hopeless.
When I found the philosophy of Maybe everything changed for me. I realized that every situation has multiple outcomes and within those outcomes is the hope that whatever is happening, Maybe it can still lead to something good, Maybe my circumstances will improve or Maybe I will find a way to accept the situation and still be okay. For me, it was the perfect combination; I could stay positive but with Maybe I could accept and dilute my negative thoughts. Once I realized that life could unfold in infinite ways, I was no longer stuck in my negative projection of the future. I began to live with the continuous realization that Maybe something else could happen other than the thing I feared most.
Since embracing Maybe I am now a much more effective positive thinker. Negative thoughts hold no sway over me because I know they are just a limited view of all that can be.
Try incorporating some Maybe into your life! Let me know if it helps you hold a more positive and hopeful outlook on life.