| Let's consider the antithesis to this question. Does | | | | challenging. When we are born we are encoded with |
| negative thinking work? | | | | the genetic material of our parents and, it has been |
| Well, has there been a time when you have worried | | | | proven, with the genetic material of our ancestors - |
| unduly about something? Maybe you were worried | | | | that's a lot of hardwiring. We then grow up in an |
| about an exam, a driving test, an interview. Chances | | | | environment where the values of our parents and or |
| are that your worst expectations came into fruition | | | | guardians are also engrained into us whether it is |
| and even if you got the outcome you desired you | | | | 'information' that serves us in a negative or positive |
| recognised that you could have performed better | | | | manner. Hence there is a lot of stuff to override. As |
| had you not worried. | | | | Jack Canfield, puts it, |
| When we worry or have negative thoughts about | | | | "We are a bundle of conditioned reflexes out of |
| something we are not allowing ourselves to think | | | | control." |
| constructively about how to achieve what we want. | | | | We tend to put a lot of emotion into our negative |
| We focus all our energy on the negative elements of | | | | thoughts compared to the emotion and energy we |
| a particular situation and what we put energy into | | | | put into our positive thoughts. I can have a negative |
| grows. | | | | thought and if I don't invest too much emotion into it |
| Dr. Kathleen Hall writes in her book A Life in Balance, | | | | then I generally don't have to worry about it taking |
| "Affirmations are positive statements we tell | | | | hold and manifesting itself. Unfortunately, we often |
| ourselves. Our mind believes what we tell it. When | | | | invest a lot of energy and emotion into our negative |
| you tell your brain positive information, you are | | | | thoughts and this simply serves to bring our worse |
| feeding your brain extremely valuable food that heals | | | | fears into fruition even faster. |
| your mind and body...When you tell yourself | | | | Conversely, when we say positive affirmations there |
| something over and over again, it gets recorded in | | | | can be an emotional detachment and a lack of |
| your brain; then your mind and body believe it and | | | | consistency in saying them. Also, a lack of evidence |
| you become what you have been telling yourself. A | | | | in our visible world may cause our analytical conscious |
| positive affirmation is a self-fulfilling prophecy." | | | | mind to filter and delete positive affirmations. Yet, if |
| This statement represents half of the picture | | | | we are able to overcome this challenge and hold the |
| because when we tell our brain, meaning our | | | | thought in our mind of what we really want |
| sub-conscious mind, negative information, when we | | | | irrespective of our current circumstances then our |
| repeatedly tell ourselves something which is negative | | | | outer world will eventually catch up with our inner |
| it also gets recorded in the mind as if it were a true | | | | world. |
| statement. | | | | To demonstrate the power of positive thinking I'd |
| "A negative assertion is a self-fulfilling prophecy." | | | | like to go back to the 2006 Winter Olympics held in |
| I was chatting to an acquaintance the other day. I | | | | Turin, Italy. The men's Alpine skiing downhill race was |
| could see she was tense and she was complaining of | | | | won by 3 times French champion, Antoine |
| having headaches. I asked if she was worried about | | | | Dénériaz. Dénériaz says, |
| anything and she admitted that she was worried | | | | "...since time that I said myself, "One day you will be |
| about a new job assignment. Now she wasn't | | | | World Champion, Olympic Champion..." |
| worried about her ability to handle the assignment; | | | | But Dénériaz was not expected to win. |
| she was worrying because she had this type of | | | | He had performed no better than sixth in a World |
| assignment before and didn't enjoy it. She was | | | | Cup race this season. The commentators and many |
| worrying herself sick and for no good reason. | | | | of the other competitors all talked about how tough |
| "When you send your brain negative information, you | | | | the course was. The course also was getting |
| are feeding your brain anti-nutrients that harm your | | | | progressively more demanding as the day wore on |
| mind and body." | | | | and more and more runs were completed. |
| Take getting a promotion at work. If we focus on | | | | Dénériaz was also the last of 30 seeded |
| why it's not possible to get the promotion and focus | | | | skiiers. None of this deterred Dénériaz. |
| on our limitations then that's what we'll put our | | | | He knew he had a job to complete plus there was |
| energy into. The presentation and or interview will roll | | | | champagne waiting for him to drink. |
| around, we'll perform poorly, lose the opportunity and | | | | You see Dénériaz had been applying the |
| tell ourselves, "See, I knew I wasn't good enough!" "I | | | | power of positive thinking to the extent he was so |
| knew I wouldn't get the promotion." We may even | | | | confident he was going to win and become Olympic |
| blame someone else - "The boss doesn't like me." | | | | Champion he bought champagne to celebrate |
| "Bob is more experienced than I. He was bound to | | | | beforehand! |
| get the position." | | | | Dénériaz skiied beautifully and won |
| When we have these thoughts we give up our | | | | emphatically in a time of 1:48.80 stealing what had, |
| power to influence change in our lives. When we | | | | until that point, looked like a sure gold medal, from |
| accept that we create our reality then we can | | | | Michael Walchhofer from Austria (1:49.52). Bruno |
| choose our reality. We can become more aware | | | | Kernen of Switzerland was third with a time of |
| players in this game called life. | | | | 1:49.82. |
| So if negative thinking works then, by the Law of | | | | The top US skier, Bode Miller, said in an interview |
| Polarity, the opposite must also true. As Larry King | | | | afterwards, |
| said in his introduction to a special edition of Larry | | | | "The way Dénériaz skied today, he was |
| King Live aired recently called The Power of Positive | | | | pretty much untouchable." |
| Thinking where he interviewed Bob Proctor, John | | | | That positive thinking works can be proven |
| Assaraf, Michael Beckwith, John DeMartini and JZ | | | | scientifically. You, undoubtedly, will have heard of The |
| Knight, | | | | Science of Getting Rich and The Science of Being |
| "Positive thoughts can transform, can attract the | | | | Well. Positive thinking is "The Science of Getting |
| good things you know you want." | | | | What You Want". |
| However, holding on to positive thoughts is | | | | |