It is quite amazing the number of people who swear by the benefits of Positive Thinking but have very little to show for it. Of course, positive thinking is far better than negative thinking, but it is still just thinking – and most of the thinking that we do exercises our conscious mind, that small part of our mind that plays little or no part in the creation of our everyday lives. Rather, it is our programmed subconscious mind that creates our automatic behaviour as a result of which our version of reality unfolds before our very eyes. It is our subconscious that creates stress, anxiety and the fear of taking the brave and courageous decisions that we need to often take if we are, indeed, to follow up on our positive thinking. Of course, the kind of decisions that I’m talking about are only “brave” or “courageous” to normal, crazy people.
Even though positive thinking is better than the negative alternative, thinking stops doing. Or worse, recent work in the US indicates that positive thinking has blinded otherwise well-informed business people from the obvious pitfalls of pursuing a certain course of action – senior figures in the banking world get a particular mention! That aside, at very best, too much thinking is a dangerous thing.
If you really wanted to pursue the route of Self-Improvement, you would be far better of trying a little positive doing! So, having prioritized the things that are truly important to your success and happiness, actually doing just the important things that need to be done to achieve your goals, to Change Your Life or, indeed, to play the perfect game of golf – if that is what turns you on! If you have financial worries or your business is suffering as a result of the economic downturn, if you feel inadequate in certain business or social situations, if your relationship is in difficulties or if your health is going downhill, if you hate your job or hate your life – you have got to take action. By action I mean real action, not the normal automatic reaction that makes things worse rather than better and, indeed, not more of the same. If you want something different in your business, career or life, you’ve got to do something different – thinking about it will not only get you nowhere, it may actually convince you to take no action at all.
However, how will you know what positive action needs to be taken, what doing needs to be done? Well, you can’t do anything without a clear and present mind. Too often we are paralysed for want of stepping back from the perceived mess in which we find ourselves, too often the normal mind is too muddled – and positive thinking may actually muddle it more. To embark on the correct positive action, you need to take one step back from all your cares, worries and frustrations. You need to take or make a few minutes each day to experience the reality of the here and now. You need to come to your senses – you have five of them, it’s time that you used them. In doing so, you will be more present which, in turn, means that you will have presence – the hallmark of all great positive doers.
