“I always look at a negative and turn it into a positive. I try to teach my kids: just take that negative, learn from it, and turn it into a positive.
…
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others MAKE it happen.”
– Michael Jordan, 14-Time NBA All-Star, 6-Time NBA Champion
We are living through a moment in history when the value of “positive thinking” is being put to the test.
Halfway through the year, it’s looking like 2020 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our way of life upside down, unemployment rates have skyrocketed, and protests and riots have occurred all across the nation over yet another horrible and senseless tragedy.
Most of us are feeling overwhelmed by the negative events that seem out of our control.
You may find yourself asking questions like, “How can I think positive at a time like this? What good can positive thinking really do right now?”
It’s during a time like this—when chaos and uncertainty surrounds us—that it’s important to recognize the key differences between positive thinking and wishful thinking.
Wishful thinking means believing that your thoughts alone can alter your reality. In other words, if you just wish for something hard enough, it will come true. If you just wish that something will go away, it will. If you just wish there were no problems, there won’t be.
That’s not positive thinking. That’s wishful thinking. And wishful thinking isn’t based in reality.
No matter how much you wish for the coronavirus to simply not exist, it won’t change the reality that it does. No matter how much you wish for the economy to instantly rebound, you really can’t control how or when that happens. No matter how much you wish for racism, injustice, and violence to no longer exit, the reality is that those things do exist.
But while wishful thinking won’t change the realities of these problems, positive thinking is crucial for overcoming the problems we face.
Positive thinking means believing that we can find a way to overcome the problems we encounter.
Positive thinking isn’t about wishing away your problems or denying the realities of those problems. Positive thinking means choosing to believe that the problems we face will not destroy us and that every problem can be solved if we’re willing to work hard at finding solutions.
Wishful thinking is a passive, bury-your-head-in-the-sand mentality.
Cynical thinking is also a passive mentality. It’s an attitude of surrendering. It’s an attitude that says, “What’s the point in even trying?”
But positive thinking is an active, we-will-find-a-way approach to life’s problems.
The two Michael Jordan quotes at the top of this article encapsulate the truth and power of positive thinking in a succinct manner.
1) “I always look at a negative and turn it into a positive. I try to teach my kids: just take that negative, learn from it, and turn it into a positive.” – Michael Jordan
In other words, don’t deny that something negative has happened. Instead, take the negative, learn from it, and believe in your heart that you can find a way to make things better and bring a positive out of the situation.
What can I learn from this? How can I make it better? How do I need to adapt my life to what is going on around me while continuing to strive towards my goals and dreams? How can I make sure that something positive comes out of this?
2) “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others MAKE it happen.” – Michael Jordan
Jordan’s second quote is step two of positive thinking. Wanting and wishing won’t do you any good if you don’t go out and MAKE it a reality. Positive thinkers are ACTION-oriented people. They take charge and find a way to get it done.
Positive thinking isn’t about wishing problems away. It’s about overcoming problems.
Now is not the time to abandon positive thinking. Now more than ever, it’s a time to embrace that positive, can-do, find-a-way attitude that gets things done and turns things around.
As the world-renowned sports psychologist Bob Rotella said, “Misfortune happens to everyone. Champions just refuse to let it push them into doubtful, fearful thinking.”
Positive thinking doesn’t offer you some type of protective shield against problems. Positive thinking is the fuel that powers you to solve those problems without falling into fear and despair.
It’s the optimist who believes that no problem is too big for us and that we can change the world for the better.
Be an optimist. Start changing the world.
(For much more on how to use positive thinking to power you forward through the ups and downs of life, please see my book, Relentless Optimism: How a Commitment to Positive Thinking Changes Everything.)
