How I see the difference between positive thinking and positive living
In the past, I have struggled to really understand the difference between these two ideas. I have thought of being positive as a “fake it till you make it plan”. Buying things I couldn’t afford or acting in ways that aren’t natural or comfortable. Generally speaking positively over the top of situations and circumstances that were not ideal for me.
An honest assessment of myself is how I approach positive living. Knowing where I am truly at in my life and searching out the positive aspects of it.
If financial stability is what I want, I wouldn’t be saying affirmations about being rich or spending money I didn’t have. Instead, I can look for the positive aspects of my current situation. “I get paid again next week, and I will do better with my money this time”.
I grew up with the idea that rich people lived a particular lifestyle. The rise of social media and people creating the appearance of picture-perfect lives is reinforcing this idea. I want to bring your attention to a study of 10,000 millionaires in America and how they got there.
“How did they hit the million-dollar mark? They did it through consistent investing, avoiding debt like the plague, and smart spending. No lottery tickets. No inheritances. No six-figure incomes.”
This doesn’t sound like the picture We’ve been sold…
Of course, there are people out there who live jet-setting lifestyles, but what assumptions are we making? How can we fake it till we make it when we don’t know how to achieve the lifestyle we want?
For me living positively means not dwelling on the negative aspects of my life but searching out the good. The things I can be thankful for.
This is not about finances only. The positive living aspect has touched just about every area of my life. Why get the look of a runner with all the perfect gear and not get out and hit the trails? I’ve had much more success in getting out in my daggy tracksuit or my mismatched outfits and actually doing it. When I want to improve my relationship, I don’t put on a false front. Instead, I get into the muck, face the hard and painful conversations, and grow in connection.
At the end of the day, positive thinking is exactly what the name tells us. We have been sold an unrealistic expectation of what it looks like. The terminology doesn’t account for the realness of life. It is important to think positively; this is really what gratitude and knowing you can do better is. As I have taken the journey into positive living, I have become better and gained some amazing ground. I have a Gratitude for what I have and a willingness to work on being disciplined in positive living.