by Sandra Douglas

Created on: February 10, 2008

Negative or positive, our thoughts create our attitude, and in turn, how we experience the world. It can be a bright place full of the promise of tomorrow, or a drudge to be tolerated until something better finally comes along.

Every word is preceded by a thought. When we think or say something negative, it not only impacts others in the hurtful way we intended, but us as well. The soul is a mirror reflecting back onto us everything we put out to others. Toss a negative comment into the pool of thought and we all get wet by the same splash.

But why not complain? It's unhealthy to bottle up our feelings inside. The constructive voicing of complaints and issues can lead to resolution and take a relationship to a higher level, but that's different than ruminating day after day with the same negative self talk.

"Ruminate" is an interesting word. It is the rehashing and chewing again and again of the same negative thought but nothing helpful ever comes of it. It is as if the thought chooses a victim who is powerless not to think it. "I can't stop thinking about it," even when thinking about it causes anger or despair.

We are the gatekeepers of our own thoughts, no one else. The old negative self talk has worn ruts in the road and sometimes it's hard to break out of them. When you catch yourself falling into the old way of thinking stop and say, "Don't go there!" Change it for a positive thought.

Do not let other people decide your attitude for you. We are in charge of our own attitudes. Don't believe that? Try an experiment. Spend an hour or two complaining, negative thoughts one after the other. Direct them at the weather or direct them at yourself. See how you feel about yourself at the end of the hour. Then spend an hour thinking only positive thoughts. Now how do you feel?

Think about something someone said that made you angry, so angry that you were in a bad mood the rest of the day. If negative thoughts have the power to make you angry or feel bad about yourself, then shouldn't positive thoughts have the power to bring you a good day?

Henry Ford said, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, your right."

Surround yourself whenever possible with positive thinking people. They will be easy to find. They hang around with other positive thinkers. Remember how negative thoughts directed at another person or situation will splash up onto you as well? The same holds true for positive thinking. Throw out positive comments wherever you are and watch what comes back to you.

Sure, you don't control the negative attitudes of relatives and co-workers, but you can refuse to accept their negativity. Negate their negativity with a positive thought or comment. Contradict them. When they attack your new attitude with, "When did you become such a Pollyanna?" you'll know you're making progress. Once they figure out that you're not going to commiserate with them, they will change or find someone else to listen to their complaints.

We human beings have much to contribute to the world, and much to receive from it. All of our desires are there for the taking. The caveat: What we think we create. The power of positive thinking is not about earnest wishing for that which you don't have. It's about finding joy in what you have now while you trust that something better is on the way. Positive thinking is about today.

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