How Positive Thinking Can Benefit You in Uncertain Times

What can you do when everyone around you is screaming that you are finished? Are they trying to discourage you? No, sometimes your loved ones actually believe that.

A study at Yale confirmed that nobody is normal. We are all weirdos - something we dread so much. Is it a mad, mad, mad world out there? Is this true?

If you look at it from a different perspective, none of us is a weirdo. Maybe it is the definition of 'normal' that is problematic. Being normal is a kind of social 'average' of human behaviors. The individual responses may vary most of the time.

Once you define normal in any one way, you are ready to work on weirdness. You are trying to make permanent something that is inherently evolving. Our lives are always in turmoil; we have to act creatively to continue our lives. Hence, the fluctuations in our temperament and behavior will always be there.

Normal is not possible when things keep changing. For example, you can find the average temperature of two cities - and it is the same for both: 60⁰ F. But the temperature extremes may vary from 0⁰ to 120⁰ F in one and 50⁰ to 70⁰ F in the other. Human behaviors similarly swing between extremes.

You laugh loudly one day and cry like a baby on another. People may consider you a bit extreme when they compare you with me - because I never laugh much or cry much. I may be insensitive from your viewpoint.

"I would argue that there is no fixed normal," a senior author of the Yale study, Avram Holmes, summed up the findings. "There's a level of variability in every one of our behaviors. Any behavior is neither solely negative or solely positive. There are potential benefits for both, depending on the context you're placed in."

Any behavior is neither solely negative or solely positive. ~Avram Holmes

Let me explain how uncertain times demand positive thinking - not negative thinking.

Since you are conditioned to think of uncertainty as dangerous, you'd think an uncertain situation justifies negative thinking - to get ready for the worst. But that is not true. Uncertainty warrants only caution and focus.

You have to balance uncertainty with positive thinking. Suppose you had to audition for a role in a movie. But you were uncertain about the outcome. You could convince yourself not to go for the audition. All you needed in this uncertain situation was a little positive thinking, "I will be the chosen one. I deserve this role."

The more uncertainty you face in life, the more positive you should be. But if you were certain of the outcome, some negative thinking wouldn't hurt you much.

How could positive thinking be more effective in uncertain times? Shouldn't it be a permanent feature of life - always think positively - as every sage says?

Positive thinking is not a permanent feature of life. It should be used sparingly - only when you face uncertain situations.

The permanent feature of your life should be thinking - neither positive nor negative - simple, plain, and elegant thinking.

If you decided to think positively whenever you faced uncertainty, it would serve you well. Why?

You would never become the optimist who smokes cigarettes - thinking that smoking would not hurt you. You would be a person who thinks about everything - without trying to make things positive or negative - and without enforcing any judgment.

"Is the glass half-full, or half-empty?" this simple question can help you understand the distinction between negative thinking, plain thinking, and positive thinking.

Here, the fact does not change. When you see a glass with 50% water in it. You can say:

Plain thinking: It has 125 ml of water.

Positive thinking: It is half full.

Negative Reasoning: It is half empty.

These principles apply to our lives as well. The circumstances of our lives don't have to change. We can label them the way we like.

If someone special kisses you on your cheek, you can say in your head, "My dress must be looking good on me." But if that someone doesn't kiss you, you are free to think, "I have to return this dress and replace it with something nice." Or you can plainly not relate your dress to whether your special one kisses you or not.

When you are willing to think positively, you get an abstract benefit: you stop seeking certainty.

The moment you stop seeking certainty, your life becomes an adventure. The dopamine circuit in your brain lights up when you enjoy positive risks.

When you are trying to do things - with a positive outlook - many people find it easy to offer their advice. It is not magic; it is human nature. When we see somebody trying very hard to do something, we are willing to offer our help - for some money or, in some cases, without any money. Imagine a young kid trying to ride a bike. Think how you may find it easy to help him or her.

Risk-taking can be both good and bad. When you are not afraid of uncertainty, you can allow yourself to take controlled risks.

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Final Thoughts

The pandemic has created lots of uncertainty in our lives. We all know now that life can become uncertain without any warning. But this is the time when we need to think positive - and hope that something good will happen.

You can not sit still and do nothing - especially in uncertain times. Human society cannot function if everybody sits at home, terrified of what might happen tomorrow.

First, you choose to think positively, and then you handle uncertain situations better. People assume positive thinking is benefiting you, making you more courageous.

But good things actually happen because you are willing to take risks. Positive thinking does not increase the chances of good things happening to you; it only makes you better at accepting whatever life throws at you - with a smiling face.

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This story was originally published on medium.com.