It is amazing to think about the power our minds have over so many different aspects of our being. The mind controls how we feel pain, how we assess problems, and how we respond in certain situations. Not only do we make decisions based on logic, but also our actions as human beings unconsciously depend on particular primitive feelings and emotions. Although it is impossible to fully control the outcome of any given situation, one thing that can be applied is the power of positive thinking.
Our brains sometimes automatically pick out all of the negative things about something, even if no such things really exist. It seems almost too easy to obsess over flaws, but the difference between brooding over our problems and moving ahead is tremendous. Some people will only ever focus on the bad, which in turn creates a toxic environment that is truly contagious. In the sphere of health, nothing can contribute as much to a sense of well-being as a positive mental attitude. It is something that is renewing when everything is already spent. Positivity creates vigor and optimism, which is generated through the mind, which runs its course throughout the body. It generates an atmosphere where everyone feels refreshed and enthusiastic enough to keep on going. It may seem corny to say that the power of positivity lies in believing you can do anything, regardless what the circumstance, standing strong through all situations of life, not being afraid to live, and being willing to learn from everything that life throws at you but, the fact of the matter is that no one ever got anywhere by constantly telling themselves they didn’t have what it takes to achieve their goals.
From personal experience, there have been many circumstances where a simple difference in my state of mind has been made the difference between success and personal defeat. As an athlete, I have learned that nothing can stop the person with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the person with the wrong mental attitude. Even coaches, reporters, and sport psychologists are constantly inundating the print media with critiques on the mental side of coaching and playing, such as "the psychology of winning," "the mind-set of successful coaches," "the mental side of hitting," etc. All athletes are physically limited to some extent, but their attitude can enhance their chances for success. Attitude is almost a type of the filter through which a person can perceive and assess difficult situations and overcome them. Positivity is evident in people and general and athletes that enjoy what they do in both practice and games, and they generally see potential in every circumstance. Whether the situation is negative or positive, they find some way to gain inspiration or wisdom from it. Even a defeat will inspire them to work harder and longer to succeed the next time out.
With excessive evidence that a certain positive state of mind and attitude leads to victory, it could be said that this is the key to success in all terms of life and not just sports.
This is slightly off-topic, but I'll share. When I got certified to participate in Search and Rescue operations, I got a lot of training not only in orienteering, outdoor survival techniques, and searching techniques, but also in how to mentally approach potentially dangerous situations. If anyone ever asks you what the number one thing you need to survive in an adverse situation is, the answer is a PMA, positive mental attitude. If you let yourself panic and can't calm down enough to think about what you do have the power to do and can control, then you are already dead. For a human being to survive, the ranking goes:
ReplyDelete1. PMA
2. air
3. water
4. shelter (this means clothing, too)
And food is surprisingly far down the list, as a person can survive without food for about a month. Not that you'd want to.
Anyway, just interesting how applicable a PMA can be, even if it sounds silly when no one's in trouble.
Very refreshing take on our environment. While reading I thought about the implications of the opposite side of this spectrum which would probably be depression and all the destructive characteristics associated with that mental attitude. This makes positivity even more compelling. There are so many people who deal with battling depression every day and while it does have something to do with our brains chemistry it is also a state of mind in some senses. This was a great overview of the optimal mind set but is probably highly unrealistic in the reality of our chaotic world.
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