Positive thinking is what counts

By D. Chandramouli

JAKARTA (JP): "It's the attitude that counts, at every altitude", says an ad by Lufthansa Airlines.

Yes, life is really about hopes. Our very existence from one moment to another hinges on hopes. What is "positive thinking"? It is a state of mind, whereby we train ourselves to look on the bright side of things, seeing possibilities rather than problems, with the result it will soon become a habit. For this, we must have faith in ourselves, faith in the world around us and above all, faith in God.

Hope builds on its own momentum and opens up immense opportunities. An abundant mentality creates unlimited choices in life.

Thoughts are the basis of all actions. Positive thinking is based on strong beliefs. Beliefs act on our emotions and feelings, and transcend, but are not opposed to, reasons. The powerful subconscious mind generates the "can do" spirit, which in turn generates the "how to".

The positive approach is not a mere tactic but an attribute. Positive thinkers view everything from a broader perspective. They are willing to listen to others' opinions and are flexible enough to accommodate differing viewpoints.

For an optimist, every problem is an opportunity turned inside out. Therefore, he is a better problem-solver. He believes that things will improve, so he behaves accordingly. A positive attitude leads to positive responses. If the first is achieved, the other will follow.

More often than not, the way we look at a problem becomes a problem by itself. "Is the cup half-full or half-empty?" It depends on how you look at it. If we can cultivate an optimistic outlook, our paradigms are tuned to find better and alternative solutions to problems. The biggest advantage of being positive is that we are not part of the problems but part of solutions.

It may seem ridiculous, but I know a person who is such an optimist that he reinforces his positivism even from his blood type: "B(e) Positive"! Well, why not?

However, we do find some perpetual pessimists, with permanent frowns on their faces, as though the world is set to come to an end the very next day. For anything and everything, they will say the opposite. Their grievances would be endless. Discontent and gloom are part of their psyche. You ask them not to use negative words such as "can't" and "not". They will manage to irritate you by saying, "I can't see why not"!

There are periods when negative thoughts and fears of failure blind our minds. Nevertheless, we shouldn't give up hope. There must be some way, some doors that are only waiting to be opened. We must try, with all the resources at our command, to explore each and every option and work at it.

My schoolteacher had told me that there is always someone out there to help you in your endeavors, and that man is only seven persons away from you. "But" he used to say; "you have to go to him".

Even with the best of intentions, we may realize that there are certain things which we cannot alter. We should then reconcile within our minds that we did our best, and should leave the rest, which is outside our control. What cannot be cured must be endured.

To quote Dada J.P. Vaswani, a great philosopher and humanist, who recently visited Jakarta, "Failure is very necessary -- it has a place in life. Failures give significance to success. It is failure that draws out the best within us. We have not failed we've only postponed our success. Failure teaches us humility".

Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan were known to use innumerable anecdotes for effective communication. Similarly, Dada Vaswani often makes his points clear, by sprinkling them with humorous little stories.

Here is an example from his repertoire, on "humility". "A rich man, when asked if he ever prays, said: "I have everything in life. I don't need to pray to God at all". Then a bystander reminded him, saying, "You can at least pray for humility".

We should not allow occasional failures to shake our self- confidence. Obstacles in life should be looked at as challenges and opportunities. We must be steadfast in our conviction and determination.

According to Dr. Walter Doyle Staples, "You can learn to find the good even in the bad, thereby making the bad not so bad any more".

Mental and emotional attitudes also play a role in our physical health. The present-day doctors agree that there is indeed a "mind and body" connection and they encourage the patients to develop willpower, to fight the diseases.

What happens to those people who, sometimes, undergo untold agony, either due to mental or physical sufferings? As a wise saying goes: "Hope means, hoping when things are really hopeless". We should then believe in the powers of God and pray to Him. Our sincere prayers wouldn't go in vain.

Behind positive attitudes lies our great human potential. Positive thinking is empowerment of self. It is creative and constructive. Arnold Schwarzenegger, action film hero, acknowledges the power of the mind thus: "The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it -- as long as you really believe 100 percent".

Our mind is our best friend. We have the power to transform ourselves. Let us, therefore, resolve to become positive persons and develop the "Habit of Hope" It's only a matter of conscious choice.