Why A Positive Mindset Alone Won’t Change Things
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Positivity can sometimes mask the truth…
“Stay positive.”
“Think good thoughts.”
“It takes more muscles to frown than to smile.”
We often hear these expressions about optimism but are they a little overrated?
A positive mindset is a great thing to have but you can run the risk of using optimism as a shield against the reality of the world. If you use optimism to mask your feelings and the truth, it can become a security blanket.
I think optimism also runs the risk of making us passive. We can be optimistic that a situation will turn around but not take enough action to influence and change that situation.
I know that optimism only helped me so much in a job I hated. I was hoping for things to change, daydreaming about the day that I would land a new job and finally walk away.
But I couldn’t hold out any longer.
Confronting my harsh reality was hard but it was one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done. When I faced the reality of my situation and realized it wasn’t going to change — at least not any time soon — I finally made the decision to take action by leaving and exploring another path.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” -Viktor E. Frankl
Taking action put the balance of power back in my hands. It was only after I was out of that negative situation that I was able to create a more optimistic outlook on life.
This is why I think positivity alone doesn’t work. But when it’s paired with a solid plan of action, it becomes something very powerful.
Here are the reasons why I think positive thinking is overrated.
