“It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.”—Robert H. Schuller
I recently saw the cover of The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach to Achieving Positive Results by Bobby Knight. I admit, I have not read the book—nor do I expect I will. It might be a good book. Bobby Knight, for all his faults, was, after all, a successful basketball coach.
The title intrigued me. So, of course, I Googled it. To my surprise, a number of books with similar titles popped up (e.g., The Power of Negative Thinking: Coming to Terms with Our Forbidden Emotions by Gerald Amada and The Positive Power of Negative Thinking by Julie K. Norem). The titles are a bit misleading, and with a bit more research I learned that the strategy has some merit. “Negative thinking” actually refers to what might be better labeled as “mental contrasting”, a term coined by psychologist Gabrielle Oettingen and her colleagues.
Oettinggen and colleagues (2012) concluded that “Mental contrasting participants who received positive feedback performed better than those who received moderate feedback.” The idea here is that, while we visualize success, we are careful to give attention to where we are presently in our growth plan and all the challenges that confront us. This makes perfect sense to me. While I like Napoleon Hill’s Power of Positive Thinking, I am also a fan of Robert H. Schuller’s Power of Possibility Thinking. Moreover, I am a realist—I am neither a glass half-full or half-empty person. Rather, I look at the glass and say: “I want it full. How do I fill it?” This is mental contrasting.
I don’t like the label of “negative thinking”. I prefer to think positive with a realistic approach to success. This is what having a growth plan is all about. One must set goals, expect a positive outcome, consider the potential obstacles, and work one’s tail off to accomplish the goals. I prefer the power of possibility thinking coupled with an action plan.
Avoid the expectation that your goals will come to fruition simply because you believe they will. Personally, I think this is a nonsense approach. Rather shoot for goals that are “not realistic by normal expectations” (Coyte Cooper). Consider the challenges that will invariable come.
The Pollyannaic Principle suggests that subconsciously we are optimistically, but consciously we tend to focus more on the negative. It is good to be more internally optimistic. Outwardly, we have to be in control. We have a choice in how we approach the task at hand. Negativity is a choice we make. Therefore, we also have the option of being positive.
Realistically, we are certain to be met with challenges to our success. Expect that the forces will oppose you and attack your goal with vehemence. Carpe momento the heck out of your goals. See challenges as opportunities to grow. Accept the challenge and act.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!
“No one is mocked with the yearning for that which he has no ability to attain. If he holds the right mental attitude and struggles earnestly, honestly toward his goal, he will reach it, or at least approximate to it.”—Orison Swett Marden
Oettingen, G., M.K. Marquart, & P.M. Gollwitzer. (2012). Mental contrasting turns positive feedback on creative potential into successful performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 48(5): 990-996.