Positive Focusing vs. Positive Thinking

Nowadays we hear a lot about positive thinking. It is considered as an important factor for the extent of one’s success. But have you heard about ‘positive focusing?’ Peter McWilliams explains it in his “Do It!” series and differentiates it from positive thinking. He says it is more important than positive thinking for success and enjoyment. Read and learn to be positively focused.

- N.Ganeshan

Positive Focusing vs. Positive Thinking

There is a myth that in order to reach our goal we must "think positive" all the time. No, we don't have to "think positive" all the time. We don't even have to think positively any of the time.

To succeed--to fulfill our Dream--all we have to do is keep focused on our goal and keep moving toward it.

Let's say person A, person B, and person C all set out for the same goal. They begin at the same place at the same time. Person A is a positive thinker; person B is a positive focuser; person C is both a positive thinker and a positive focuser.
At the "Go," person A decides to sit down and do a little positive thinking to help prepare for the journey. Person B focuses on the goal and gets moving. Person C gets moving, too.

Person A notices an area of unpositiveness within, and remains still, working hard to remove the "darkness" before moving on the journey. Person B does not like the road, does not like the rules, does not like the weather, does not like the planned lunch, does not like not liking any of it, but keeps moving toward the goal nonetheless. Person C keeps moving, too, while enjoying the flowers, waving at passersby, singing, and thinking what good exercise all this movement is.

Guess who gets to the goal first? It's a tie between B and C. Person A hasn't left the starting place--but is feeling much more positive now, thank you very much. Person B and person C arrived at the goal at the same time because they were equally focused on it and moved on it. So why bother to add the positive thinking?
Person C enjoyed the journey; person B did not. That's the only difference. As long as we stay focused on our goal and continue moving toward it, we can have all the negative thoughts we want.

In terms of goals, what's the difference? Well, if I were to ask C, "How would you like to go toward another goal?" C might respond, "Sure. That was fun." Person B, on the other hand, might reply, "I worked hard to get here. I want to rest for a while. Enjoy my victory."

What's the point? There are two. First, if your thoughts are not always sweetness and light as you move toward your Dream, don't worry. If you keep moving, you'll still get to your Dream.

Second, as you move toward your goal, you might like to practice focusing on good things along the way. You don't have to "make something up"--you already have; it's called your Dream. You need only look at what's in front of you and find something there to appreciate.

Our lives are a combination of good and bad, positive and negative. It's the best of times and the worst of times, all the time. When we focus on the good that's already present, we feel better. If not, we don't. Either way, life goes on.

Keeping your mind on the goal and moving toward the goal are the essence of positive focusing. All the rest is fun, entertaining, enjoyable--but not essential.

- Peter McWilliams in “Do it!”