Positive Thinking

Loneliness, Depression & Relationship Forum

Help Support Loneliness, Depression & Relationship Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

9006

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Messages
19,816
Reaction score
305
Location
UK
Hey hey,

So does anyone think that positive thinking works at all?

Many people have said "Think Positive!" to me, but I'm unsure about this. Some people believe that everyone and everything is all interconnected - kinda like the internet, and by thinking positive you attract only good things; it can get quite deep.

Personally, I'm not so sure about this "Law of attraction".

What d'you guys think??
 
All I know is negative thinking hasn't done me any favours and apparently thinking negatively produces negative results so I don't see why the opposite can't work too.
 
If i start talking about the Law of Attraction, I will be here for hours if not days.

If you have the time to listen, check this out.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/30552042/The Secrets To Manifesting Your Destiny.zip

The bottom line is, I believe in the law of Attraction. The thing is, it takes work, and alot of mental and spiritual exercise. Just like working out and going to the gym builds up your body over time, the persistant practice of meditation and positive thinking does remove many roadblocks and brings good things to us. But it takes time, and it takes a determination and effort that is huge. Since I cannot explain it so quickly, that link above does a really good job explaining it. Probably the best explanation I have ever heard, and from not only a spiritual level, but from a scientific, philosophical and psychological level as well.

I hope you take the time to listen. That guy is one of the smartest cats I ever heard.

Cheers.
 
ThisSideOfTheRainbow said:
If i start talking about the Law of Attraction, I will be here for hours if not days.

If you have the time to listen, check this out.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/30552042/The Secrets To Manifesting Your Destiny.zip

The bottom line is, I believe in the law of Attraction. The thing is, it takes work, and alot of mental and spiritual exercise. Just like working out and going to the gym builds up your body over time, the persistant practice of meditation and positive thinking does remove many roadblocks and brings good things to us. But it takes time, and it takes a determination and effort that is huge. Since I cannot explain it so quickly, that link above does a really good job explaining it. Probably the best explanation I have ever heard, and from not only a spiritual level, but from a scientific, philosophical and psychological level as well.

I hope you take the time to listen. That guy is one of the smartest cats I ever heard.

Cheers.
I downloaded this earlier, I'm on the third track at the moment. It's very intriguing. Thanks for posting it!
 
I think it's definitely possible. Like Skid Row said, negative thinking certainly doesn't help, maybe that's more what it is, just blocking out the negativity, as opposed to positive thinking actually having some supernatural way of attracting positive things to you. I don't know if positive thinking can necessarily attract positive things, but negative thinking definitely can become habitual, and very much affect your everyday life. Everyone I've talked to that meditates, etc., they all swear by it. So whether it's something supernatural or just a way of weeding out negativity that in turn breeds positivity, honeysuckle, it can't hurt.
 
Personally, I'm not sure about this whole "Law of attraction" But I think positive thinking would be the way to go. I think it's more like, instead of thinking positive, it's more about having the right attitude. Which could come off as the same thing though :p

I always like to think about it like in a game, only when you think you can win, will you actually try to win the game. If you thought you weren't going to be able to win, you probably wouldn't put much effort into something you weren't confident in to begin with. I think thinking positive is just a generalized way to see it :p It's pretty much revolves the idea of a Self-fulfilling profecy.
 
Skid Row 89 said:
All I know is negative thinking hasn't done me any favours and apparently thinking negatively produces negative results so I don't see why the opposite can't work too.

haha, that's a good point.

ThisSideOfTheRainbow; I haven't got enough time to have a proper look at the moment, but i'll check it out later when I've got more time.

It seems like most people believe or at least, is in support of this positive thinking, like Wailun said; at least it's the right attitude to have, sometimes it's hard to break the cycle of negative thoughts though.

I'll check back later...
 
Forcing positive thinking sounds counter productive to me. More to do with self-awareness and mindfulness gently leading us. Just by seeing our thoughts more clearly, there is a subtle change which grows more and more,as you continue meditation practice.
 
Positive thinking has done a lot of good for me and a lot of good things have happened since I changed my thinking and mindset from negative to positive. It really has and I'd totally suggest it for anyone who would like changes to happen. It's not an overnight thing that happens, but over time, you'll realise positive things happening, in small minor forms at first. Continue on and you'll see bigger things.

If not for positive thinking, I don't think I could be here right now.
 
This is a subject I've thought a lot about, actually. I even created a controversial and slightly judgmental thread about it a while back.

I'm torn between the two sides, which is why I never wholly adopt one doctrine. I know how to be positive most of the time, but forcing it leaves me feeling empty. Take culture, for example. It moves us, helps us live, shakes us profoundly—and very seldomly in an uplifting way. How can I think positively after watching, say, Au Hasard Balthazar, Bresson's reflections on the cruelty of human nature? I think art and culture prove that suffering can be beautiful. Those trying to transcend that kind of emotion are just afraid of being human, as the novelists say.

What positive thinking can do is help you look at a problem objectively: Is this really a problem or just a problem of mindset? Of course - and this is where I erred last time - the only person who can make that judgment is the person with the issue.

As for the "law of attraction," it seems bordering on the metaphysical (maybe it was just the way it was worded), which is something I personally don't subscribe to.

isthatso said:
Forcing positive thinking sounds counter productive to me. More to do with self-awareness and mindfulness gently leading us. Just by seeing our thoughts more clearly, there is a subtle change which grows more and more,as you continue meditation practice.

Good post.
 
I tend to think the worst about everything, then i am not so disappointed when the worst happens but pleased if it's the better outcome
 
A positive attitude is essential for achieving goals, but the supposed "Law of Attraction" is just buncombe...magical thinking poured into a New Age bottle. Positive thinking by itself attracts nothing; only when it is accompanied by action do you get good results. More often than not. One would hope.
 
MTrip said:
A positive attitude is essential for achieving goals, but the supposed "Law of Attraction" is just buncombe...magical thinking poured into a New Age bottle. Positive thinking by itself attracts nothing; only when it is accompanied by action do you get good results. More often than not. One would hope.

I like what you say about a positive attitude, and I know where you come from with the The Law of Attraction, but isn't that what Noetic Science is about, is that the same thinking, they pour a lot of money into that don't they. I know nothing really about it, just curious what you think.
 
GraceBlossom said:
MTrip said:
A positive attitude is essential for achieving goals, but the supposed "Law of Attraction" is just buncombe...magical thinking poured into a New Age bottle. Positive thinking by itself attracts nothing; only when it is accompanied by action do you get good results. More often than not. One would hope.

I like what you say about a positive attitude, and I know where you come from with the The Law of Attraction, but isn't that what Noetic Science is about, is that the same thinking, they pour a lot of money into that don't they. I know nothing really about it, just curious what you think.

"Noetic Science"? Am not familiar with it...perhaps it is more popular across the pond than in the US? Or maybe I just don't keep up with the latest snake oil trends. ;) We do have enough of that going on already. Past-life regression, psychics, astrology, dear God don't get me started... *lol*
 
MTrip said:
GraceBlossom said:
MTrip said:
A positive attitude is essential for achieving goals, but the supposed "Law of Attraction" is just buncombe...magical thinking poured into a New Age bottle. Positive thinking by itself attracts nothing; only when it is accompanied by action do you get good results. More often than not. One would hope.

I like what you say about a positive attitude, and I know where you come from with the The Law of Attraction, but isn't that what Noetic Science is about, is that the same thinking, they pour a lot of money into that don't they. I know nothing really about it, just curious what you think.

"Noetic Science"? Am not familiar with it...perhaps it is more popular across the pond than in the US? Or maybe I just don't keep up with the latest snake oil trends. ;) We do have enough of that going on already. Past-life regression, psychics, astrology, dear God don't get me started... *lol*

I am not sure if it something they do over here, but I heard of it in an american novel, and was surprised to see it is something actually being researched. Your comments about The Law of Attraction reminded me of that.
 
Yes, it helped me. :> Everything seemed so nice and lovely until I got back to my bad habits, negative thinking...
 
Years ago I was very shocked to learn about neurological patterns, basically that once some emotional patterns have been repeated a few times this creates like a path of least resistance in the brain and that we keep repeating that pattern only because for the brain it is easier, so we don't really make a choice about how we react to things.
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/relat...changing-toxic-thinking-or-behavior-patterns/
(I hope this article explains it better)
Anyway, this theory shocked me and convinced me to try and change my neuro patterns, and I believe this is what positive thinking is about. Law of attraction, I am not too sure about it, but still it is all in the eye of the beholder if what comes one's way is negative or positive, so, why not.
 
Positive thinking in my experience plays a massive role in anything that you want to accomplish. My instructor is big on positive thinking. Being positive can make failure much more painful, but it also drives you try even harder so that you will never have to taste the bitterness of failure again. From this comes greater success.

"Great Faith. Great Doubt. Great Effort. - The three jewels of training."

~Zen
 

Latest posts

Back
Top