1. Here's what positive thinking is NOT...

A current example of what, to me, positive thinking is NOT is Charlie Sheen. If you have no idea who I am talking about, Charlie Sheen is an American actor who has a reputation for abusing drugs, using women and frequently ending up in the hospital because of his lifestyle choices. After his most recent stint, instead of hiding away in a rehab facility, Sheen decided to do a widespread media blitz and pretty much dominated television "news" and talk shows for a couple of weeks. In these interviews, Sheen did not admit his addictions. What he did is declare, in very colorful ways, how he's doing wonderfully and that he's just being who he is. Over and over again, Sheen tried to convince his interviewers and the world that he is "winning." Some people view Sheen with pity, others view him with disgust and judgment, but some see him as a model of positivity. After all, here's a guy who has seemingly hit rock bottom and yet he still maintains that he is a "bitchin' rock star." I don't know Charlie Sheen personally and I have not followed his interviews closely (or much at all). But what I do know is this... Proclaiming that you're "winning" and that all is well when it's quite obviously not is absolutely NOT positive thinking. Instead, it might be called denial or even delusion. The point is that if you're close to or at your rock bottom (whatever that looks like for you) and you are walking around insisting that your life is perfectly wonderful, you're not practicing positivity and you're probably not on your way to improving your situation either. No amount of positive talk-- whether it's inside your own head or proclaimed to an audience of millions-- is going to change how lousy you feel or how horrible you believe your current life is.

1. Intro

in the magical and mysterious land of Oz, she wanted more than anything else to return to her far-away home. She was told to click her heels together 3 times and say the words: "There's no place like home." With the clicking of heels and speaking of affirmative words, Dorothy and her dog were transported back to her family in Kansas. If only getting what you want in real life was as easy as this! I've read quite a few books and heard teachers speak about the power of positive thinking. I have actually experienced some wonderful effects of it too. At the same time, I know all too well that the whole notion of thinking positively can be easily misunderstood. A person can become frustrated, disappointed and call this positivity thing a bunch of bunk-- if he or she doesn't get what it's all about. Mistaken or confused understandings of being positive can leave you feeling like a failure (for not getting it "right"), as if you've been misled (by someone trying to sell you some product) and drained (from trying so hard to be more positive when you feel anything but that).

3. Here's what positive thinking can be...

I'm not going to claim that I'm laying out finite parameters of what positive thinking is here. There are a whole lot of ways to be positive. I will, however, suggest some possibilities that you can play around with in your own life. One possibility when it comes to positive living and thinking is to be real and authentic. Everyone views every situation differently. You might see a family of 10 living in a 2 bedroom house as impoverished but, because that family used to be without any shelter at all, they may be rejoicing at the abundance that they have. The key here is to be really honest with yourself about where you are in your life and how you feel about it. It doesn't matter how your neighbor judges you, it's what you believe and what you want for yourself. If you are dissatisfied-or even horrified-- by where you are in your life right now, you can actually be honest with yourself about that. At the same time, you can use positive thinking to bring some improvements. The challenge is to find aspects of your current situation that you CAN feel good about. What are the "little" everyday things that make you smile? What is it about yourself, your relationships, your home, your job and your surroundings that you can genuinely appreciate and maybe even celebrate? The opposite of being in denial is not languishing in the misery of your disappointments. Instead, it can be the honest assessment of all that you are and all that you have. It can be noticing that there are some things about your life right now that make you smile even if there are also things that make you cry.

4. This is what positive thinking can do for you...

When you start to get in the habit of widening your view and you can find more and more things about your current self and life to genuinely appreciate, you're undoubtedly going to enjoy yourself more than before. This, in and of itself, can be a dramatic improvement. Nothing about the conditions of your life may change and you can still experience greater satisfaction and happiness, all because of positive thinking. In addition to this, what often happens is that positive thinking opens you up to opportunities and the actual conditions of your life also improve. When you're approaching life with a broader-- more positive-- view, you are usually more innovative and willing to take beneficial risks. Solutions that you might never have considered before may now seem possible. Your life can transform before your eyes, all because you were able to open up to all that's waiting for you.