“You Can, You Should, And If You’re Brave Enough To Start, You Will.”

There’s a cliche in the personal development world that can be polarising. Some people shy away from it, believing it to be cheap or tacky, while others swear by it as if it was some sort of magic pill.

This is the idea of positive thinking.

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Positive thinking is when we consciously cultivate positivity in our minds so that we think we can get through anything. And it’s been scientifically proven to improve your work life, physical and mental health, and relationships.

A University of Michigan study, led by psychology professor Barbara Fredrickson, explored the importance of positive thinking and emotions on our experience of:

joy,
interest,
contentment, and
love.

These four positive emotions have a number of ripple effects on our behavior.

Fredrickson went on to say:

“Joy sparks the urge to play, interest sparks the urge to explore, contentment sparks the urge to savour and integrate, and love sparks a recurring cycle of each of these urges within safe, close relationships.”

By adopting a positive mindset, our resilience increases and with it our capacity to explore the world, while feeling confident and secure. Negative thoughts and emotions, on the other hand, can skew our perspective and in the long-term, damage our self-esteem.