Why Positive Thinking Falls Short
Positive thinking? For decades, the motto of the productive world has been "Think positive!" Meanwhile, the divorce rate has increased, highly
talented people are out of work, terrorism is a wide-scale threat, and mediocrity is everywhere. It’s time to acknowledge that
positive thinking is not enough.
There are five reasons why positive thinking falls short. CLICK below to learn about three of
these shortcomings.
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1. Positive Thinking is Often Used to Suppress Negativity
2. Positive Thinking is Often No More Than Wishful Thinking
3. Positive Thinking Has Different Shades
4. Suboptimal Thinking Is NOT The Mental Basis of Peak Performance
5. If We Don't Optimize a Situation, We Don't Complete It.
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| 1. Positive Thinking Is Often Used To Suppress Negativity.
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 Many positive thinkers often judge, suppress, and ignore negativity. They want to hear the good news only and alienate themselves from any negative thoughts or feelings. Such positive thinkers may have many concerns about their financial situation but choose to ignore them. You have probably heard these people say, "I don't want to hear any negativity!" They do not want to face the truth. By alienating themselves from negativity,
they sacrifice authenticity, vulnerability, wholeness, and intimacy
Some years ago, I had a similar experience within a well-known international company. The vice president repeatedly said, "Stay away from negative people. If you want to fly with eagles, don't mix with turkeys!" The employees were expected to show enthusiasm at all times. Whenever anyone expressed thoughts or feelings of doubt, anxiety, or unhappiness, they were labeled "negative,"
and were denigrated and disregarded.
According to the 248-page Columbia report, organizational barriers prevented effective communication of
critical safety information and stifled professional differences of opinion.
Negative thoughts and feelings are not resolved when we suppress, deny, or devalue them. We just function with layers of unresolved problems, which affects our morale, stress level, productivity, and teamwork. It's like putting a coat of fresh paint over rust. Sooner or later, the paint peels off and the rust resurfaces. Suppressing negativity with positive thinking can be very harmful. Many positive thinkers experience severe emotional and financial distress
because they ignore negative warning signals.
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| 3. Positive Thinking has Different Shades.
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Communication between positive thinkers on different levels is often problematic. Conversation between them does not provide the best outcome because they are not on the same wavelength. For example, the mediocre positive thinker acts as a "wet blanket" to the extraordinarily positive thinker, who is the "energizer." The different levels of positive thinking are not harmonious.
Here is a typical conversation:
EXTRAORDINARY ED: Your home is in a fantastic location.
You’re close to the shops and your view is sensational.
MEDIOCRE MARY: Yes, it is quite good.
EXTRAORDINARY ED: You should be very happy with it. Your home is a great investment.
MEDIOCRE MARY: I suppose it’s okay.
Unfortunately, Mary and Ed often experience the disparity and frustration that prevail among the various levels of positive thinkers. In our world of infinite diversity, some people want to be good and others want to be great.
Here's a scenario involving a newly married couple.
John, a mediocre positive thinker, makes a good living and is quite happy with the status quo. He has no desire to achieve extraordinary results. Susan is an extraordinarily positive thinker. She envisages herself as a multimillionaire with highly successful businesses throughout the world. John believes that Susan is a wishful thinker. Susan perceives John as mediocre and limiting. They are in continual conflict because their
different levels of positive thinking are not in harmony.
No doubt you have experienced different levels of positive thinking. Often family members exhibit a mixture of thinking-most are suboptimal and on different wavelengths.
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| 5. If We Don't Optimize a Situation, We Don't Complete It.
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Many positive thinkers constantly seek to improve their situation. They want better relationships, more satisfying work, and higher living standards. If the current solution is better than a previous solution, it's good enough. Such thinkers rarely experience complete satisfaction because the unexplored alternatives continue to haunt them. They are often regretful because they focus on what could have happened, should have happened, and would have happened,
if only...
Do you constantly strive to better your life but rarely feel satisfied? These days many people are self-improvement junkies. They read the latest books, listen to cassette tapes, and attend copious seminars on personal and professional development. They hunger for any piece of information that will improve their lives. They savor what they find, and digest their valuable insights. Many wisdom seekers are surprised when their appetites return; some are discouraged or even desperate. Something is missing and incomplete.
They never seem to have enough.
Whenever you think suboptimally and seek to improve -- rather than maximize -- your
current situation, the quality of your life is compromised.
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CLICK here for seminars, consultation or products to learn
HOW Optimal Thinking resolves the FIVE shortcomings of positive thinking and
WHY Optimal Thinking is the ESSENTIAL step above positive thinking.
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