How Important Is a Positive Attitude Really? by Joan Kent, PhD

Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. – Norman Vincent Peale

Attitude is everything, so pick a good one. – Wayne Dyer

 

Believe it or not, I’ve come to consider a positive attitude somewhat irrelevant. This is after a virtual lifetime of hearing how vitally important it was and is.

 

In grad school, several factors were pressuring me to finish my degree by a specific date.  Two professors on my committee were leaving shortly after that date, the costs had become a serious burden, my mental need to finish was growing exponentially, and more.

 

Well, I managed to graduate from my master’s program on my desired date without EVER believing I could do it. There was too much to do and too little time.

 

Instead, I went with Act As If. I asked myself, “If I could finish on time, what would I have to do?” I started by making a list; it was about 16 blocks long.

 

I began with the obvious first steps, did those, and crossed them off the list. From there, I worked my way through the list – NEVER ONCE believing I could get everything done in time to make my deadline.

 

Yet I just kept following that daunting list – and finished the degree on time. Again, I never believed I could; I just kept acting as if I could finish and doing, step by step, what I would need to do if I could finish.

 

Does It Work for Others?

 

In the weight loss/athletic performance program I ran, I used to tell the participants to show up for the workout no matter what:  to come in with a scowl on their faces, or in a lousy mood, to call me names, hate my guts, and so on.

 

At one time the negativity they inevitably felt from time to time would keep them away from the training. But I gave them permission to have a negative attitude, and that brought them to the training studio.

 

And it worked! They kept showing up and got in great shape. They lost impressive amounts of weight. They made huge changes in their eating, in lifestyle, in their daily habits. And they did all of that even while scowling.  Imagine.

 

I’m not saying that attitude doesn’t matter, or that positive thinking can’t have benefits. But I’ve discovered it’s not necessarily the premier factor in goal-getting that we’ve been led to believe it is.

 

Sometimes cliches become cliches because they’re full of truth.  Other times, they’re just cliches.

 

If you enjoy thinking outside the box and would like some nutrition tips that may be as well, I invite you to visit LastResortNutrition.com and grab a free 15-minute consult to discover how to make some small changes that can lead to big results.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.