This morning my husband and I were discussing the idea of positive thinking verses negative thinking and I found myself spending some time musing on this once again. Oh yes, I've done this before and while the subject is seemingly clear cut, as time passes on and experience teaches wisdom, here I am, sharing with all of you my thoughts on this today.

Does positive thinking equal success?

It's an interesting ideal, as one must first perhaps, understand what it means to be positive in the first place. My husband does not call me positive. He in fact, prefers to call me naive, albeit sweetly so. The concern here is my naivete' cause me to not see the world so clearly and so it must mean that I am deluded, choosing to be blind to the realities of this world.

Now my husband, true to life's cosmic sense of humor, is in fact, my complete opposite. We're a perfect match in the well rounded sense. But the kicker here, is that I, the ever optimist, married and committed to someone who is quite honestly, quite negative. Now he will tell you he is not negative. He will say instead, that he is a realist. And maybe he is. Maybe he sees the world quite clearly through his glasses while I choose to walk around this thing called life with my polarized Ray-bans, seeing everything in the most incredibly flattering light.

Who is better off? Who is the successful one here?

POSITIVE - having a good effect : favorable <a positive role model> b : marked by optimism <the positive point of view> indicating, relating to, or characterized by affirmation, addition, inclusion, or presence rather than negation, withholding, or absence ~Marriam-Webster.com

NEGATIVE - lacking positive qualities; especially : disagreeable b : marked by features of hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism that hinder or oppose constructive treatment or development <a negative outlook> <negative criticism> ~ Marriam-Webster.com

My positive outlook is seen as naive to one who is seeing himself as a realist. I choose to see myself as hopeful in a seemingly hopeless world. By placing my focus on what is more admirable, possible, achievable, what harm am I doing to myself or to others? Wouldd this world be better off believing the worst in others, only seeing what is wrong verses what is actually still working, placing focus on the problem...

And there is the kicker.

Is it possible that solutions to problems can be found more readily from a realist perspective or an optimistic one? For example, how would a realist choose to handle losing their job? How would the optimist handle it?

Where does success lie?

I can't help it, my optimistic, naive, dreamer, positive self MUST believe that the person who chooses to see in the possible can indeed be successful. That when you choose to look at life in a way that hope resounds, trust exists, nothing is impossible and life is meant to be learned from...success follows in close pursuit, no?

My husband allows me to see a perspective that does not come naturally to me and I like it, because I learn from it. But it also makes me sad. We live in a world now that is quite self centered, self serving, distrusting, dishonest, violent and angry, depressed and hiding in an abyss of self hatred and loathing...We need to step up and believe in tomorrow, that we can make each day new, that we can make a difference if we just step up, that one person is still better than none at all, that believing is better than not believing and having hope gives others the opportunity to hope with you...There is power in that. And I think that is success in a nut shell.

It might be naive of me to think all this...but can I afford to be anything else?

Thoughts on this debateable subject, as always, are welcome.  

I hope you have a very positive day, full of possibility and hope for the future. Make it count.