Hannah considers positive thinking from different angles in the spirit of Positive Thinking Day!
The Cambridge Dictionary defines manifesting as, ‘to make something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking that it will happen’, which I believe encapsulates the power of positive thinking in a literal way. Nice idea, hey – I’ll have some of that! In our house, the dog is a master practitioner in manifesting, believing that if he stares at his bowl for long enough, sausages will appear.
Purists sometimes take the idea of manifesting to extremes, suggesting we all have agency in everything we experience in life, but I’m uncomfortable with the subtext. It’s not fruitful (or moral) to suggest anyone affected by tragedies played any role in their own misfortune, so we should take that idea off the table. Anyone can find themselves in the wrong (or right) place at the wrong (or right) time.
A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I narrowly escaped a lightning strike (two prongs of the same fork, each four paces in front of us). Thankfully, we’re here to tell the tale and although it doesn’t really bear thinking about, had we been a few paces ahead and the outcome different, I like to think our family wouldn’t been eulogising that we’d made some bad choice.
Things crop up, sometimes when we least expect them to, but our thinking can play a part in how we rise to stress and in our resilience. Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk, ‘How to make stress your friend’, explores how our attitude to stress can determine the level of influence it has on our health.
We should channel our positive energy towards showing up in the way that best represents who we are inside, and focusing on manifesting what we’d like to achieve. Visualising what you want (whatever ‘it’ may be), certainly plays a role – making it seem more tangible and helping the brain sequence the steps to attaining it, but for me, it’s not about simply waiting for things to happen. It starts with our framing and self-talk, which governs the ceiling of our achievements. Master of mindset, Carol Dweck, is a good source for further exploration of fixed and growth mindset.
We tend to choose the lens through which we view the world, and how generous we’re prepared to be in our interpretation of other people’s intentions and behaviour. In our interactions, we attract what we give off, so I’ll leave that with you as a parting thought – what ripple of positivity will you start today? For a deeper dive into all things positive thinking, I recommend ‘Positivity: Confidence, resilience, motivation’ by Paul McKenna.