How to Boost the Power of Positivity

All of us have experienced the tugs and pulls of both positivity as well as negativity at some point in our lives. Sometimes, we get drawn to negativity and doubts and suspicion swarm in: ‘Will I be successful in what I am doing?’ ‘What if I make a terrible mistake?’ ‘I don’t have this,’ or ‘This person is very bad.’ We may even become unable to look past minor inconveniences and stress out over little things.

On the other hand, sometimes, we get pulled towards positivity and are filled with great confidence. Oftentimes, we are able to do seemingly impossible tasks just because we believed we could do them. In such situations, this voice in our head is constantly telling us: ‘I will be able to attain my goal,’ ‘I am very happy and content with life,’ or ‘I am surrounded by people who love and support me.’

In either set of circumstances, only we know what is going on; that is, only we are aware of our internal state of mind. Now, we all have also experienced that positivity brings happiness and negativity brings unhappiness. Why is that so? Why is positivity so powerful? Let us find out power of positivity.

As explained by Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, the law of karma states that we get what we ask for. To put it differently, we reap what we sow. So when we sow positivity, hope and faith, we get results that reflect these ideas. Similarly, when we sow negativity, fear and suspicion, we get results that reflect them. That is why, we should always remain positive, hoping for the best, believing with utmost faith that even if circumstances are not favorable right now, they will change and we will see a better tomorrow. That is why we should always engage in positive discussions and not negative, make positive interpretations of situations and not negative, and side with our positive thoughts, not negative.

The Positive Vision of ‘Vitraags’

Vitraags used to give such amazing examples! Lord Mahavir used to give exceptional examples of positive vision! When a man said “Sir, I lost one hand,” the Lord would answer, “No, you have one more hand and two legs. You are very fortunate.” That person would go back feeling happy and content. Later, when he loses the other hand too, he would say, “Sir, I lost both my hands.” Then Lord would answer, “You have two legs, don’t you? You have two legs and two eyes.” When he lost his eyesight, the Lord said, “You still have ears and a tongue.” What does the Gnan of the Vitraags say? If one asks, “What am I left with?” when one leg is lost, he would be told, “No, you still have one leg left. Even if both the hands and one leg are missing, you still have one leg left. If someone gives you a helping hand, you will still be able to walk on one leg.” A Vitraag doesn’t count losses, rather his vision is always on what profit still remains. All these years, a lot of ‘our wealth’ has remained intact. We have eyes, a nose, ears, healthy hands and legs. We have everything. This is what the Vitraags always see. What would a Vitraags’ vision be like? It would only view that which one has, not what one doesn’t have. All the strengths already lie within us, but if one says, “I will not be able to do this,” then it will be so. This negativity has ruined people. People have actually been ruined due to their negative attitude.

See, how far people have gone in negative thinking! If after a single reading, one doesn’t remember what has been read, they start to think negatively, “What if I don’t recall anything during the exams and fail? When I go home, Papa will not let me in.” People think negatively to such extents! So, one should think only up to a certain limit and then stop. Just as when thoughts of dying begin, we stop them immediately, when we get negative thoughts, we should stop them immediately too. You will become what you imagine. When you yourself say, “My health is good” then you will feel better. Likewise, if you say, “I am not feeling well,” then you will feel worse. So you will become as you imagine! By speaking negatively about a good thing, it will get ruined, and by speaking positively about a bad thing, it will improve. Hence, we should always speak positively. By saying, “This ‘khichdi’ is delicious and I liked it”, one starts to find it tasty. At least try this experiment once! You can experience the power of positive thinking.

So we see how important it is to keep a positive outlook in life. But how do we apply it in real life when facing a challenging situation? Let’s say someone made a mistake and made us angry. We could unleash our wrath on them and not only make that person miserable but also make the situation worse by adding all that extra negativity. Alternatively, we could tell ourselves that even though this person made a mistake this once, they are usually very good at what they do. Their intention was pure and they are always concerned about our well-being. Thoughts like this will prevent us from giving in to negativity and help us find a solution without hurting anyone. And only wisdom and understanding will lead to such thoughts, not intellect. Intellect lacks discretion - it does not understand the complexities of the human condition and is quick to judge. Wisdom or understanding, on the other hand, is mindful of human limitations and will discourage us from making rash decisions based on insufficient evidence. This will help us remain positive and not get caught up in minor details that may bring temporary inconvenience but in the greater scheme of things are quite harmless.

One of the most crucial factors in all this is language. Words influence strongly how we look at a particular situation. If we choose positive words to describe a situation, we will feel confident and capable of handling that situation well. If we use negative words instead, we will find the same situation impossible to handle. It is therefore important to be mindful of what kinds of words we surround ourselves with. And this includes words that people around us constantly use. A few minutes with a chronic complainer will make us feel that our personal energy has bottomed out. On the other hand, power of positivity will always refresh our spirits and make us feel calm and confident.

Positivity has great power! And by choosing positivity, we can channelize this power to attain happiness for ourselves and for the people around us.