The Power of Positive Thinking

Guest Blog by Susan Pattis

What Is Positive Thinking? Let’s first see a dialogue as an example between a doctor and a lady who just gave birth to a baby boy.

Doctor: Mary, I am so sorry to tell you that your boy is blind.

Lady: Well, at least he can hear my bedtime story.

Doctor: Unfortunately, your baby is also deaf and mute.

Lady: Well, at least his mind is all right.

Doctor: Sadly, I must tell you that your boy is autistic and will have constant seizures.

Lady: I am grateful that he has healthy limbs.

Doctor: I am afraid to tell you your child has no arms or legs.

Lady: I am still fortunate because he has one thing nobody can take away from him.

Doctor: Are you sure, lady? What might that be?

Lady: My boy has a loving and capable mother to raise him. By the way, he also has an excellent and hardworking father.

The lady's husband beside her said, “I am blessed with such a sweet wife and a son because God has seen my capability to nurture both. I am grateful that God chose me to be his father!”

Doctor: I wish all disabled people could have parents as loving and caring as you are.

Do you get the idea of positive thinking? The couple has proved to what extent one can be positive. Positivity is a matter of perspective. The things you look at change when you look at them from different angles and perspectives. Could you think like that lady if that baby boy was your child? Could you remain as positive and calm as that mother? Do you have a husband with similar positivity as you in similar situations?

Let us see another example. You might have known the story of David and Goliath. A giant in a remote village was bullying and harassing the children for a long time, but nobody in the small town tried to fight back and protect the children. A 17-year-old shepherd boy visited his brothers in the village one day and asked with curiosity, "Why don't you folks stand up and fight the giant?" The villagers were terrified and replied, "Don't you see the giant is too big for us to fight?" "No, he is not too big to fight; he is too big to miss if you were to fight,” David said. You know what happened after that. David killed the giant with a sling. You see the same giant, yet with a different perception. So, the power of thinking is to shift your perspective for better results.

Once upon a time, a humble and powerful emperor visited a monk at a Buddhist temple in the Tang Dynasty of China. The emperor was surprised that the monk's house was empty, with no furniture but a pillow and a simple wooden twin bed. Let's see their conversation.

Emperor: You are a wise and respected Buddha master; why do you have no belongings?

Monk: I am just a monk with no need for anything. You are an emperor; where are your belongings? I cannot see any.

Emperor: I have everything you can imagine at my palace. Today, I am just a visitor; of course, I have nothing with me now.

Monk: So am I, emperor. I am also a visitor. I am only on earth for this life.

Emperor: Thank you so much for your profound statement! Yes, we are the same, visitors only. We are free, and we need nothing.

The emperor donated most of his palace assets to the people after the visit with the monk. What is the difference between having everything and having nothing? How can you live a happy life even if you have very little? Yes, we are all visitors to this world for this life. We are all born with nothing. We shall all leave this world and this life with nothing. Can you grow your positive thought like the monk? You should never be ashamed of being short of money because you can still enjoy your life with your loving heart and mindful soul. I can't imagine a better example of positive thinking.

A successful farmer friend in Portland, Oregon, told me his secret of success by choosing two seeds. There were two seeds lying side by side in fertile soil. The first seed said: “I want to grow my roots deep into the earth so that I can be strong and tall by its thrust, I want to feel the warmth of the sun and dew on my leaves, and I want to blossom to bring pleasure to people passing me by.” So, the first seed grew tall and blossomed beautifully. The second seed said, “I cannot grow deep and take the risk of dark and dangerous creatures; I do not want to be tall and grow blossom to please others because people might pick my flowers and cause me pain. The sun’s warmth might be too powerful to take away my moisture. No, I will not grow." Indeed, the second seed did not grow; a hen resting in the shade beneath the first plant found the second seed and ate it.

Positive thinking helps the first seed grow well, whereas the negativity of the second seed costs it its life. Are we all seeds and hens in this life? As the first seed shows with its positivity, everyone can easily live in the present moment by accepting fate and enjoying a happy life with shade to rest in as needed. A negative person will always be sad with fear for every aspect of life, eventually swallowed by bitterness or death before experiencing true life. The first seed knows the power of positive thinking and enjoys infinite happiness. The second seed buries itself without trying due to its negative manifestation of the uncertainty of the unknown future.

We are living in a world with time and space. Time is the most valuable asset of all. There is no time to waste with negativity because time is the only thing we cannot repurchase once we have lost it. We should use our time wisely, effectively, and positively to make every second count to live a happy life since nobody knows whether tomorrow will be there waiting for us. Everyone needs to learn a positive way of thinking; this only happens after some time. Please give yourself time to learn something new and explore more possibilities without giving up hope too fast. You can always pick one exciting thing to do without overwhelming yourself when you have a long list of essential chores. You will be much happier focusing on something you are grateful for right now instead of focusing all your attention on the things that bother you the most.

A lady worked for a wealthy family living on top of a hill. She walked down the hill to collect water from the stream daily; she used her shoulders to carry two pots hung on a pole. One day, she realized one of the pots had a slim crack along its side, but she continued to use the pot. Day after day, she filled the pots to the brim and walked back up the hill with one pot full and the other cracked pot only half full. The cracked pot felt sad and embarrassed, while the other pot was proud and content. "I am ashamed and useless," said the cracked pot to the lady. The lady replied with a smile, "Look around the path as we pass tomorrow; you will see beautiful flowers blossoming on your side of the trail up the hill while the other side is still dry and barren. After noticing your small crack, I take advantage of it to water the plants along the path," she added. The problem, which the cracked pot thought to be the flaw, was a blessing for the flowers. All humans have unique weaknesses and strengths that make the world around us more interesting with interwoven layers of joy, challenge, happiness, achievement, and satisfaction.

Let's review the story about Thomas Edison. His factory in New Jersey was destroyed by fire in 1914. Edison lost his life working and assets in smoke and flames in that fire. His son, Charles Edison, was so surprised when he found his father standing by the burning site calmly, watching the blazing fire with a glowing reflection on his face. "There is always great value in any disaster because our mistakes are gone. Thank God we can start over again," Edison told Charles after the fire. Guess what happened? Thomas Edison invented the phonograph just three weeks after that accident.

From these examples, we have learned that happiness is the choice you make for yourself. Nothing is to be stressed about in life as long as you are grateful and do your best to achieve more. Negativity destroys your inner power to be creative and productive, while positivity encourages you to go the extra mile to be excellent and outstanding. Never let go of your will to achieve, your burning desire to succeed, and the power of positivity to reach your full potential. Remember, you are the key to unlocking your happiness and life achievement. Sometimes, you must fail first to know how courageous you can become in this precious life.