The idea that “positive thinking” can affect our lives for the better has been gaining momentum over the past 80 years, and even more so with the recent release of “The Secret,” a book by Rhonda Byrne. Does the concept work? I dare say it does—within reason.

Despite the nay-sayers, facts are facts: Magnetic Resonance Imaging has shown us that different thoughts have different waves and forms. But even without scientific evidence, if we walk up to someone in a bad mood we can usually sense it. And we can sense when people are in good moods, too. On that simple observation alone, I think it’s safe to say that our thoughts have an influence on our surroundings.

But can positive thoughts bring us positive results? I believe so.

A technique advocated in positive thinking is visualizing an expected end-result. Here’s why this works:

When we put mental pictures of these expectations into our brains, the difference between expectation and reality nudges our minds to look for way to make those pictures part of our real life – to reconcile the differences.

Pictures are powerful, because the human mind often thinks and communicates in pictures; words are simply codes that we agree on to communicate those pictures.

For example, if I say “think of a red car,” it won’t take long before an image of a red car pops into your mind. The car could by any make or model, but it will be red. By focusing on what you want (let’s say a red car), you are giving your mind an image of an expected end-result.

And think about the last time you bought a new (or used) car.  Almost instantly you noticed all the other cars just like it. This illustrates the magic of your brain tuning itself so it’s aligned with the pictures you’ve placed inside it. 

So, if you can picture what you want — and the clearer the picture, the better — the more likely your brain is to notice the conditions necessary to make your thinking your reality.  Although “The Secret” is somewhat extreme, I believe the underlying premise has much merit.

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Filed in Opinion, Motivation, Management, Corporate Culture, Coaching