" Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

  Abraham Lincoln

Our thinking attitude has a lot to do with our success or failure in life. Our thinking habits can make our life a heaven or hell. We should not forget to acknowledge our negative thinking as it is an integral part of positive psychology.  It helps, as defensive pessimism does, people accomplish their aims. Defensive pessimism is a strategy that helps us to work through our anxious thoughts rather than denying them, so that we may achieve our goals. Dr Norem (2001) discusses this very concept in his book: The positive power of negative Thinking. It is not a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.  Pessimists have only pleasant surprises. Optimism improves our social life and motivates us to never give up, which turns failures and set backs into comebacks and successes. Running away will never make you free.

In order to turn the mind toward the positive, inner work and training are required. Attitude and thoughts do not change overnight. We see an excellent example of despondency in the Bhagavad Geeta where the two armies are facing each other.  Arjuna who was prepared to go to war, when faced with the hard decision of fighting and killing his very own people who stood in the opposing army, felt dejected and unable to move; he informed Krishna, his charioteer, that he was not willing to fight; he was not ready to face the enemy who happened to be his very own kith and kin. At that very moment, he was already defeated in his mind. He was ready to give up and run away when he let go of his weapon when Krishna supported him and helped changed his attitude and thoughts after quite a long conversation/dialogue. A transformation took place in Arjuna when he said “I am ready to fight” and picked up the weapon of war. That change signified his success. He faced his worst fears and won the day. That was the power of positive thinking in action.

 “Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favourable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds”, writes Remez Sasson. Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it. This is a subject that is gaining popularity.

The new field of positive psychology is full of examples from the ancient wisdom and the applications in modern psychology. In Too Much Wisdom a social psychologist at the University of Virginia has tried to describe the causes of human flourishing, and obstacles to well-being that we place in our paths. He writes:…”our emotions, our reactions to events, and some mental illnesses are caused by the mental filters through which we look at the world.”

We should not underplay the power of positive thinking in the area of healing and alternative therapies.  David Hamilton, a former research scientist within the pharmaceutical industry, born in Stirling, backs his theories with hard evidence from respected academic journals. He has researched the power of positive thinking and holistic healing; he firmly believes that the medical establishment can learn a lot from alternative thinking. In the course of researching for his book, The Astonishing Evidence for the Power of Mind Over Matter, David Hamilton has reviewed hundreds of scientific papers that look at the effects of thoughts and emotions on the healing process. Studies of the effects of music, positive thinking, touch and faith on patients suffering from illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and Parkinson’s disease have shown demonstrable and measurable effects.

Hamilton believes in many cases medicine may catch up. He says:  “Science will not progress unless it starts to look at what it often condemns as Woo Woo stuff.” Talking of the placebo effect, he says it points towards a very real phenomenon that we haven’t even begun to grasp; the placebo effect is a scientific fact which cures thousands of people every year.”

 Positive psychology in wellbeing and healing is occupying a central place in research. Recently I read a report about a govt support experiment in alternative therapy.An experiment is allowing NHS patients easier access to alternative and complementary therapies has been launched by NI Secretary Peter Hain. The £200,000 year-long trial will run in two health practices in Londonderry and Belfast. The main focus will be on anxiety and musculoskeletal problems. GPs in these areas will now be able to refer patients for therapies like acupuncture, homeopathy and massage. Mr. Hain said it would help those who could not afford treatments privately. The pilot, announced last October by Health Minister Paul Goggins, will be run by Get Well UK, a not-for-profit organization which promotes greater access to complementary and alternative medicine.

Our thinking attitude is very closely linked to positive psychology which is central to all aspects of our life. Robert F. Kennedy’s (1968) address at the University of Kansas, made a very relevant point when he said: “ The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of our education or their joy of their play….it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.” 

This is the key to positive psychology which is the study of the conditions and processes that contribute to the flourishing or optimal functioning of people, groups, and institutions. Researchers in the field of positive psychology are now involved in studies which make life worthwhile; they are examining the psychological underpinnings of happiness and morality; techniques to improve well-being such as mindful meditation, journal writing, well-being therapy and others.