You surely have heard about “positive thinking,”  but why bother? Is there any reason you should make the effort to retain only positive thoughts? This post gives some thoughts on why you may in fact wish to make this effort.

Higher Productivity

Keeping a positive outlook might help you be more productive in both your professional and personal lives. If you have a bad attitude, you are more likely to give up, get angry, get distracted easily, and move slowly. A simple thing like how you think can make a world of difference. W. Clement Stone spoke of this when he said, “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference.” The attitude makes a small impact, but the key one is whether it is positive or negative. Whether you want increased productivity is up to you; however, examine the source and effect of your attitude.

Better Relationships

No matter what you’re doing in your profession or personal life, keeping a cheerful attitude may increase productivity. Negative attitudes make it easier for you to give up, become frustrated, become easily distracted, and move slowly. A little thing like how you think can make a world of difference. W. When Clement Stone said, “There are little differences between people, but those little differences make a big difference,” he was referring to this. The main distinction is between a good and a bad attitude, which is the minor difference. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you want to be more productive, but think about the causes and effects of your attitude. It’s the relationships, trust, and rapport you develop with people that contribute considerably to promotion chances and should not be disregarded.

Better Health

Both modern medical providers and ancient practitioners have said that your attitude can affect your health. Your body takes cues from your mind, and negative thoughts can be disruptive to your internal body processes. To prevent stress-related disorders, managing stress is a major issue for us. The reverse is also true: having good health will contribute to a positive attitude, so take care of your body! A holistic approach focuses on your mind and body at the same time, making sure you eat healthily and exercise often.

Happiness

What use are the other things listed above if you aren’t happy? Happiness is perhaps one of the most important things of all. Financial success does not always translate into happiness, and many successful people are actually quite unhappy. Happiness is really a state of mind, and we have complete control of our own minds. Unfortunately, a lot of people let their feelings and thoughts run on “autopilot,” never choosing for themselves what to think. Maintaining a positive attitude equates to a decision to be happy; it’s your choice!

Buddha’s words, “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die,” sum up how to remain happy no matter how bad things may seem. It’s also important to not miss the things that truly make us happy, which are typically not things like money but often little things we take for granted. As Robert Brault said, “Enjoy the little things; for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Spiritual Growth

If you follow a particular religion or believe in a creator, you might also think that maintaining a positive outlook is necessary for spiritual development. Many religions teach this basic premise: that we should remain positive and trust in our creator no matter how bad things may seem. Even if you don’t believe in any spiritual truths, you might feel a moral need to be good so you can have a good effect on other people. Being positive makes others feel good, which is rewarding in itself.

You Are Your Thoughts

Everything about you is thought of. Mahatma Gandhi stated, “A man is merely the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes.” What do you want to be? More than you may realize, your thoughts shape who you are, how people view you, what enters your life, and how others will remember you when you are no longer with us. Which personality do you want to have? Make sure your thoughts and attitudes support your definition of yourself!

How to keep a positive attitude is a subject for a different essay, as there are several approaches to achieving this. However, determining WHY you WANT to do this is an important first step that can lead you to exploring approaches that work for you. A great second step is to learn to just realize when you are not feeling optimistic and pause to reflect on whether you want to choose to feel that way or not. To change your attitude, you must first get back in charge of your thoughts and get off “autopilot.”