Mind Tricking Your Way to What You Want: Does Positive Thinking Actually Work?

Hypochondriacs, I would guess, are prepared when illness hits.  Medicines stocked in the cabinet, WebMD’s app ready to tap—they’re ready because they think about it all of the time.  On the flipside, if you’re like me, when sickness strikes it’s a crushing blow—a hard, sudden, throwing off balance type of knock.  And you have to drive to CVS at 10 PM because you can’t find any Tylenol.  But once a fluke happens once, or in the case of my 6 year-old, lightning struck twice with unrelated autoimmune diseases–then even a positive thinker who doesn’t take temperatures or rush to the pediatrician has doubts.  Because that seed has been planted in your head.  And those memories taught you about vulnerabilities. 

So on Friday night when I drove to a children’s hospital for suspected appendicitis for my 3 year-old I thought, hey, it could happen to him…why not?  But since I’ve been exercising my positive thinking muscles for the last two months I strong-armed every vision of Scottie being wheeled into the operating room into an image of him in his car seat driving home.

I’m not saying my thoughts have superhero tendencies, (because he ended up having a virus), but it made me ponder how potent positive thinking can be.  At this age how easy/difficult is it to maintain a positive outlook?  And do we have the power to manifest our own destiny?

I’m sure in some religious factions I could be scolded because God would be that captain of our trip.  But tons of literature supports the power of positive thinking and its domino effect on not only your personal life but on your community.  I love reading the recent positive affirmations on facebook.  The gratitude posts put a happy spin in the universe…and, like a boomerang or a reflection, should attract more joy and thankfulness.

But can actually thinking positively about what you want make a dream materialize? Or are we all like Silent Bob attempting our own Jedi mind tricks?

In 2006 I read the popular book, The Secret, along with 19 million others.   Most recently I read a 1940s title with similar themes interlaced with a more “faith in God to provide” slant, The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn.  These two works advocate visualizing, practicing gratitude, and putting it out there to shape your world.  Have you ever thought of a song and then a minute later heard it on the radio?  Or slept with your future husband’s business card under your pillow practically willing him to ask you out?  If so—then you might have an inkling that our mental powers can cause our wants to appear.   

When I was in 8^th grade I spoke in an oratorical contest with “Destiny, Choice Not Chance” as the topic to extrapolate.  Back then I was convinced that my life would be a series of choices.  With more than a fourteen year-old’s perspective, however, now I realize that yes, along with life decisions to make we have the choice to focus on conscious optimism. And that powerful thinking allows our wishes to come true.  I invite you to try it—write down a goal, say some affirmations, or ask aloud what you want--and see how your magical, mental energy can make it real.  It’s a healthy and contagious way to live.  Mind over matter?  Maybe just mind what truly matters to you.