Positive Attitude: Real-Life Examples That Inspire Change

The Science of Positive Thinking

William James is known as the father of modern psychology. In his famous book “The Principles of Psychology,” written in the year 1890, he gave an outstanding remark for the generations to come: “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.”

The Human Brain and Negativity Bias

The human brain is negativity biased. We can just take the examples from our own life, from our past. We tend to remember those incidents or events that are somehow not pleasant to us. This behavior is a fundamental feature of our neurobiology. The brain will remember your hard times and bad experiences better than your good ones. Criticism over praise, loss over gain—all of mankind evolved in this way. Under such circumstances, maintaining a positive attitude against our natural character is really hard and also not motivating all the time.

Is there any solution against this gravity?

The answer is yes, and we must train our brain to counterbalance the things. We must focus on a positive mindset. We can take the example from the great Indian mythological book the Ramayana. After the war between Ravana and Rama, on his deathbed, Ravana advised Laxmana why it is more important to choose one’s enemy carefully rather than friends. “A person becomes what he thinks about, or he becomes the very person he obsesses over. This is why we must be careful in choosing our enemies, for we end up thinking about them every day.” The same also applies to our negative attitude. The more you dwell on negative thoughts, you are actually granting them the power to overpower your positive thoughts and gradually your entire self.

Such a renovation of the mind towards positive thinking is essential for every progressive thinker. When you constantly dwell on your fears and failures, you are making them your enemy. When you consistently anticipate the worst, you train your brain to perceive only the worst. You become a pessimist.

The Power of Positive Attitude in History

After 27 years of prison life, instead of becoming a broken man, Nelson Mandela stood tall and became a nation builder with a positive attitude. “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid,” he wrote this timeless piece in his autobiography, “but he who conquers that fear."

In his book "The World As I See It," Albert Einstein mentioned the importance of a true and meaningful life. He explained that life without curiosity, marvel, and openness is not worth living. Amidst the reign of terror in Afghanistan, it was Malala Yousafzai who challenged the wrongs and advocated education, saying, "They thought a bullet would silence us, but they failed.” This is a profound and remarkable example of a positive attitude.

Positive Thinking Through the Ages

Winston Churchill once declared, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, and an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” In the same tune, Einstein also reframed, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

The message is clear and loud; it is our attitude that can change everything. There is a saying in Japanese, ‘Nana korobi ya oki’—meaning in English is ‘Fall down seven times, stand up eight.’ This is indeed a striking example of a positive attitude. It’s a commitment that reminds us to stand against all odds of life and the ultimate driving force towards keeping going.

We can take another powerful and poignant example of positive attitude from the life of Louis Pasteur. Louis Pasteur and his wife, Marie, had five children. Within a span of seven years, the couple lost three. Even though Pasteur didn’t stop his experiment for developing a vaccine against one of the deadliest infections of his time, the Rabies. His positive attitude helped him transforming personal pain into a world-changing positive action.

Another perfect examples of positive attitude can be quoted from John Milton’s Paradise Lost, wherein the poet wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.” It is the human mind that has the ability to mold in any circumstances. Our attitude shapes our thinking process. A negative mind will not see a single piece of wood even walking through a dense forest. On the other hand, a positive mind can redefine pain and transform extreme circumstances.

If you bow down, the cloud will not go away. There is an old English saying that every cloud has a silver lining. We have to face our difficulties with utmost positivity.

Building a Positive Attitude: The 1% Rule

Is it possible to build a positive attitude? The answer is a big "YES." Yes, we can; anybody can. The best way to build a positive attitude is the 1% rule. The idea is we have to make some ‘micro-positive-habits’ on a daily basis. We have to train our brain not to absorb any bad ideas, any negativity.  

Be positive; stand positive.

Bibliography:

1.      Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, 1994

2.      Albert Einstein, The World As I See It, 1934

3.      Winston Churchill, The Unrelenting Struggle, 1942