Positive thinking - by Ross Taylor

"You'll just have to be positive," is a term frequently used but usually not understood. Just ask any top football coach if he feels that by just 'thinking positive' his team will win the game, and he'll quickly tell you that life isn't that simple. The issue of positive thinking and the task of approaching life with a positive mental attitude, which demands that we confront our weaknesses and fears, often leads us 'blokes' to run for cover as we are not raised on the basis of being open about how we feel. I often wondered why it should be like this, until recently when I read a quote from Thomas Golden, a well known author on the subject of healing and grieving who said: "Men tend towards a hierarchical nature, viewing the world in terms of who is governing whom. Women, on the other hand, tend to view the world through the lens of who is relating to whom." After some reflection, I decided that in many cases this statement is true. I know in my own case, when facing cancer, it was initially very difficult to speak openly about my feelings and to express any fear or worry that I felt. This may sound a little strange perhaps, but that is how many men feel, and the suppression of feelings is as a result of the way we have been raised. "OK", says Gerry, "so what has this got to do with creating good health, or positive thinking, for that matter?" Well, it has a lot to do with it, as suppressed anger and fear, combined so often with resentment and self-doubt, can contribute to the onset of a wide range of illnesses and disease. Usually, just for a bit more excitement, we also add a dose of stress from everyday living and our lives become a misery! Hugh Prather put it well when he said, "There must be a better way of going through life besides being pulled through it kicking and screaming." OK, so let's look at positive thinking and how it can be used as an effective tool in creating good health....Positive thinking, positively! In confronting an illness, or starting out on a program to create significantly better health, the way in which we approach the task ahead is critical to its success. The mind is such a powerful force that it can either destroy or help you achieve your goals, depending upon your mind-set. One of the first rules to understand about 'positive thinking' is that we are talking about an approach that allows us to develop a 'positive' attitude in setting about determining our goals. We are not talking about 'thinking positive' all the time as this disallows us the opportunity to acknowledge where we are coming or starting from. Let me give you an example. Let's assume you are 10kgs over-weight and you have decided to follow the weight reduction program as detailed in my book. Many people fall into the trap of saying to themselves, "Now I must be positive, and I mustn't even think any negative thoughts about my weight." This mind-set is, of course, very destructive as with the right approach it is important to acknowledge that you are overweight and this is your starting point for your journey to improved health. It is also important to acknowledge that along the way there will inevitably be some 'bumps' but this is simply part of the process and that is OK. Dr Ian Gawler, a good friend and author of many fine books on the subject of cancer and meditation, provided me with a useful analogy about positive thinking, that I would like to share with you. Dr Gawler explained that developing an attitude of positive thinking was a bit like looking at a road map in order to find a specific destination. Sure, you need the map, and you also need the details of the final destination, but you need something else that is vital: a starting point. For without it you cannot plan your journey and you can't determine where you are coming from! Therefore it is OK to acknowledge where you are now, and what is your starting point, no matter how difficult the road ahead may appear to be. The essential elements of positive thinking....OK, so we want to develop a positive approach to being well and creating good health. So where do we start? In developing this approach, let's consider the following strategies which are necessary to ensure we progress in the right direction. Establish a clear goal. The first thing we must do is to clearly establish what it is we want to achieve; what is our goal? It should be achievable, and we should be able to monitor and measure how we are progressing. In developing a clear goal, it is best to actually write down what it is we wish to achieve. Remember I stressed the importance of setting targets that you feel you can honestly 'go for'. With regard to diet, you may decide to reduce the amount of coffee you drink from six to two cups per day. This is better than committing yourself to eliminating coffee completely, and then cheating on yourself! So be realistic and honest with yourself, as it will only be you who is let down if your goals are not achieved. I was speaking to a friend recently about vegetable juicing, and he explained that he was finding it increasingly difficult to juice every day. "I feel so guilty when I miss a day," he explained. My advice to this friend was simple. Set a goal of juicing four days each week, and deliberately plan to have an enjoyable rest on the other days. So, by actually scheduling several juice-free days into his plan, all the guilt and associated stress was removed. "But I can juice every day," says Gerry. Fine, in fact I juice every day as this is part of my own healing program. So if this is what you wish to aim for, then 'go for it' but establish your goals clearly and measurably. Do whatever it takes....Once you have set your goals it is vital to do whatever it takes to get where you want to go. To achieve the goal you must be genuinely committed and you must want to follow this program because you are committed to its outcome. If you are doing it because your spouse or sister/brother has pressured you, then the chances of success are slim. You must be resilient. Along the way there will be temptations to give up or cheat just a little. Develop this resilience and determination to see this through to the achievement of your goal.Embrace what you are doing. You really have to feel good about setting off on this journey to achieve your desired goal. Being 'half-committed' is a bit like wanting to take a shower but only wanting to get half wet. You can either be wet or dry, but you can't have an each way bet! By thoroughly embracing your 'creating good health' program you will feel it doing you good. Remind yourself every day that your actions are helping to achieve your desired goal. Enjoy what you are doing....If you are not enjoying the program you have set, then go back and re-evaluate the original goals, as it is almost impossible to progress positively unless you are having fun and enjoy what you are doing.So in developing your goals, consider what it is that you are prepared to put up with. Ask yourself "Am I prepared to be overweight, or depressed?" This is a choice you can make. You don't have to do this, and the options are yours, so make them clearly, and not only commit to them, but embrace the program you have set.
This is an extract from 'Creating Health....Yourself' a book by Ross Taylor with Dr Ian Brighthope. This book is available from Lifeforce Seminars In'tl, PO Box 125, Greenwood WA 6924 Australia.