“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8
Last week’s column fleshed out the 5M SHEPHERDING MODEL solution to the “Business Success” challenge, the first of eight challenges, as we commit to working smarter towards the benefits of holistic prosperity and happiness in the New Year.
This week we propose The Power of Positive Thinking as the solution to Challenge # 2 – Emotional Well-being.
Emotional Well-being is the successful battle of positive belief systems over the countervailing force of negative emotions. This may be described as the power of positive thinking. Norman Vincent Peale is the author of the best-selling book “The Power of Positive Thinking” which I first read when I was a teenager and it has had a lasting impact on me.
Positive belief systems drive you forward in life with the thrust of four cylinders – ambition, emotional security, good relationships and self-confidence. Ambition is a strong desire which helps us to stay focused on and work smarter to achieve our objectives. Emotional security is provided by family and friends, it is a safety net which is very useful in the event of an unexpected fall.
Always strive for good relationships with your fellow man, they are essential if you want to live your life to the fullest. Self confidence helps to back our abilities, skills and judgment despite the destabilizing forces that may be encountered.
Negative emotions – anger, envy, fear, guilt, hate, jealousy, sadness and worry – provide drag in the system and have the potential to thwart the efforts of the positive driving forces. We must train our minds and fight to ensure that this negative potential is not fulfilled. Anger can poison your physiological system in much the same way as injecting poison directly in your veins. Envy is a reaction to a something you think is missing in your life. Fear is an emotion fueled by the belief that someone or something is going to inflict harm.
To overcome these negative emotions, the solution is simple, even if for some it may not be easy. Recognize that God is Love. If there is something to be guilty about, admit it, seek forgiveness and move on. Do not mope about it. Hate is the intense dislike for someone or something – try overcoming hate with love. Jealousy is a reaction to the threat of losing something you treasure greatly. Sadness may result from loss of a loved one or a disappointment. The only real solution here is to leave the past behind, focus on the present and remember that the future will soon become the now. Worry can be a devastating emotion – just ask yourself, Why Worry?
Let us remember to focus on The Power of Positive Thinking by continually deflecting negative emotions, which may cause us to be in a state of mild depression, and by summoning our positive belief systems so that our balloon of positivity may soar as we pursue the orbit of excellence.