Imam Zijad’s Corner: POSITIVE THINKING: WHAT IT MEANS?

Before putting the powers of positive thinking to work in one’s personal, family, professional, communal and societal life, one must first understand exactly what positive thinking is.

By definition, the word positive means dealing with matters of fact; expressed clearly, or in a confident or decisive manner.

However, in the concept of positive thinking, the word positive is meant to signify a manner of thinking: a manner that puts emphasis on processing thoughts in a more desirable, upbeat way. Positive thinking can be described as the practice of embracing the affirmative in our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our reactions and our speech.

Positive thinking can also be described as a type of attitude. Happy, optimistic people are usually described as having positive attitudes and expressing positive thoughts. People who consistently “look on the bright side” are utilizing positive thinking.

Most importantly, positive thinking can be described as a skill that can be acquired by anyone. By learning the process of positive thinking, you can more easily reach your goals, whether they are personal goals or professional ones.

So, now you know how to describe positive thinking, but what is it? Positive thinking is the act of reviewing thought processes and personal actions for areas that need improvement and for areas with negative implications, and then using the appropriate tools to change those thoughts or actions in a positive, goal-oriented way.

Positive thinking is a discipline that trains the human mind to change a perceived reality by repeatedly making positive mental statements.

A person practices positive thinking when they derive a positive sense of well being, optimism, belonging, meaning and/or purpose from being part of and contributing back to something larger and more permanent than themselves.

Positive thinking is a process of choosing positive emotions from stimuli in the environment and applying them to perceptions and beliefs. The objective is to create an outlook that translates into a new or better chosen reality.