The Power of Positive Thinking

Emotions often dictate the manner in which a person conducts themselves.  Through the influence of those around me, I believe in the power of positive thinking.  Optimistic thoughts lead to positive results, and in turn cynical thoughts lead to negative consequences.  Having an open mind can boost one’s confidence and give a person the strength to pursue further ambitions.  Intrusive thoughts lead to worst case scenario thinking, resulting in hesitation or even giving up.  My teachers have taught me this valuable lesson of the power of being optimistic over the years, which has a strong affect on me today.

            My favorite teacher from my middle school once told my class that positive thoughts will lead to positive results.  For class, we had to write a short essay.  I do not remember what it was on, but I do recall her telling me that if I am confident with what I am saying and if my information is accurate I could not go wrong.  People will not always agree with what you are saying, but if you give evidence as to why you believe something to be true, you will have a strong argument with powerful statements.  Despite being confused at the time, my teacher showed me that positive thinking and self-confidence will have a stronger impact on the reader.  However, if negative thoughts begin to infiltrate one’s thoughts, lack of confidence can lead to mistakes.  This year I have had a problem with second guessing myself.  I will walk into a test thinking that I am going to preform poorly, and as a result I second-guess myself.  I will have a correct answer and change it to the wrong one because I am lacking the positive thoughts I need to preform well.  Teachers have asked me why I second guess myself, and all I can say is I am not sure when in reality I know.  I did not go in with a positive thought process which then affected the quality of my work.  Positive thinking has the power to affect our performance level.

            My teachers throughout middle school and high school have shown me that there is power in positive thinking.  Through their encouraging words and enthusiastic motivation, I have learned that having an optimistic mindset can have a positive impact on one’s actions.  I remembered my middle school teacher telling me this but not fully understanding what she meant.  After all this time, this memory has come back to me each time I have doubted myself, especially this year.  I used to hear it often but now it has a direct affect on me, which has allowed me to open my eyes to the true meaning of optimism.  This does not mean that I do not doubt myself now that I am aware of the power of positivity.  However, now I know that in order to do well, I cannot simply give up and throw in the towel.  With this newly understood knowledge, I hope that in the future I will gain the faith in myself to increase my amount of positive thinking.  As of right now I am still very cynical in regards to myself, but I know that the power of positive thinking will have a helpful long-term affect on my abilities.

            When one person is positive and shares that emotion with others and influences them, a cycle forms in which the power of positivity is passed along.  We can all learn just as I did that optimism is the most beneficial form of self-improvement.  I believe that the power of positive thinking can affect everyone.