Positive
Thinking
“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” (Isaac
Newton).
Newton’s third law
of physics has a great deal to do with every part of our being. While this quote seems scientific in nature
and may be a bit intimidating to those of us who do not have a background in
such lofty studies, we all have an understanding of what Newton said, as we all
have life experience. Newton’s law is
going to assist us with the discussion this week, as we are going to be
discovering how positive thinking can impact cause and effect and contribute to
our overall well-being: as we consider knowledge gained in the past, traverse instinctively
through the present, and move forward toward the unknown future.
In the last post,
we discussed reaction and response.
Everything we think affects our behavior. If we take a step back from a moment in time
and think about each happening, we can probably pinpoint when a situation went
right or wrong. We can discover how
events took place. We can see where the
cause occurred and how it affected every segment of an event.
Cause:
1. A person or thing that gives rise to an
action, phenomenon, or condition.
2. A principle, aim, or movement that, because of
a deep commitment, one is prepared to defend or advocate.
In truth, we
rarely have control over anything.
Though we like to think we have power over nearly every facet of life;
the fact is that the only aspect of life we definitely have control over is
ourselves. This concept of self-control
is important when considering cause and effect.
If we can train ourselves to see just one positive element in a situation, we may be
able to affect an outcome.
Effect:
1. A change which is a result or consequence of
an action or other cause.
2. To cause (something) to happen; bring about.
When
something occurs in our lives, we automatically think of what can go
wrong. We see this phenomenon in movies,
read about it in books, experience this in our lives. We see someone walking around with their
pants hanging down their behinds, which I find rather unattractive, but there
has to be one thing about this person we can say that is positive. Is he handsome? Was he polite despite his rather questionable
taste in attire? We see someone in
downtown Jacksonville talking to himself and immediately come to the conclusion
that he’s crazy. Do we stop to think that
this man has experienced something in his life that caused his inability to
control his outbursts in public? Have we
stopped to wonder if perhaps he’s just fine the way he is? Perhaps he has chosen to be who he is, and
our own thoughts have imposed something upon him that’s not a part of him but a
part of us.
We
nearly get into a car accident and immediately think of all the hassle it could
have caused. We think about the possibility
of the car insurance bill going up. We
think about the ramifications of how another car hitting ours would have
impacted our lives. Many of us curse the
other driver, especially if they were on the phone. I don’t blame drivers for getting upset about
other’s paying attention to their phones while driving. In my opinion, it’s one of those moves that
make me want to scream and rail at everyone.
My thought pattern on this matter is that if people want to kill
themselves they shouldn’t involve the rest of us. Texting and driving is not only against the
law, it’s dangerous, but there is a silver lining. In the moment, that warping time of a car
coming across the lane without a blinker and nearly hitting the passenger side
of the car makes the heart race, adrenaline rushes all these different hormones
through the system. The driver of the
vehicle is yelling at the other driver who nearly hit his car. The mind races, the person’s entire being is
literally fully involved in the moment.
One of the silver linings here is that the accident didn’t happen. There is a reason for thanks. This is a moment to lift our spiritual beings
in happiness. The other silver lining is
that the person is fully engaged in the moment.
While many may not see this as a positive aspect of such an event, it
is. We are all walking around living in
another moment while our bodies are in the present. This flash of an instance might have been
worrisome or fearful, depending on how we reacted to it, and I have to admit
this is one of those times where a response is almost impossible. During adrenaline induced events, we are
acting on instinct, autonomic reactions are more likely to occur. As explained above, there is very little we
control in life. However, our thoughts
are our own. Who we are and what we want
to be are up to us.
When
something in the world causes an effect, usually the cause is
uncontrollable. The effect, however, can
be controlled. The reasoning behind this
thought pattern is that our thoughts become our actions. If I’m yelling at a driver who just truly
pissed me off. Yes, I’m living in that
moment, fully engaged in it, but am I still paying attention to what is going
on around me? Can I be the one to nearly
cause an accident because my focus is solely on the other driver? If I give myself a second to offer thanks to
my higher power and continue on, what have I done? I have made an effort to think of the
positive. The cause has become less of
an issue, my thought was of thanks and gratitude for a reprieve from possible
bodily harm and damage to my car, and my behavior reflects that.
In the next post, we will discuss
the concept of self. Thank you for being
a part of the Soul Search Café. I
look forward to continuing a learning relationship with you. Share your comments and perspectives with us,
so we can learn from you.
Until next we meet, stay encouraged and affirmed,
Nell
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