Last week, I participated in a speech contest. Two weeks before the contest, I glanced thru the contestants list. I was so confident that I had no problem to be in the top 2 spots. I was extremely positive of being the champion. Thus, I did not prepare my speech until a night before the contest. Then you know what the outcome was? I really earn myself a trophy, but in 3rd place.
Lets look at my counterpart, he though negatively that he would not be able to win the trophy, so he prepared his speech well in advance and looked for helps. Therefore, due to his negativity he took positive action, practiced, polished his presentation skill in order to ensure he would at least get his hand on one of the trophy and he did, he earned himself a champion.
Many gurus have convinced us to think positive. They claim that “Positive thinking will foster positive action and positive accomplishment.” But my experience told me it’s the other way round “Positive thinking will normally foster loosely action and opposite result.”
There are many real life examples that people who think positive get into troubles.
- Road users, think positive that accident will never happened to them, so they drive wild fully.
- Drinkers and smokers think positively little of alcohol and cigarette will do no harm to their body, so they never ready to give up until them losing their health.
- Many businesspersons think positive before into a business. But a survey says they are over 80% of businesses fail, in the first 5 years.
- Tones of credit cards users get into financial crisis, because they positively believe there will be able to earn enough to settle their debts.
- We Malaysian also think positive, the slogan “Malaysia Boleh” has been shouted for over 20 years, but our nation owned enterprises – the air carrier and the car makers, are still living on subsidies.
These examples have shown us positive thinking is no guarantee to positive outcomes.
To me what I belief is “Negative thinking will foster positive action and positive result.” In simple words: “Prepare for the worst and work for the best.”
There are many true examples that people who think negative excel in life.
- Drivers who think negative and fear of accidents take up necessary precautions and drive safely.
- Students who think negative that if they did not score well, they will not be able to get enough credits. So they are serious in their academic accomplishments.
- Warren Buffet thinks negatively about the computing industry, so he invests only in traditional industry, like the beverage company and the furniture company.
- Japanese thinks negatively about having not enough resources in their country, so they are positively look out for resources internationally and to ship back to Japan. Then they sell their products to global market.
So these examples are to prove to you only those who think negative survive.
Frankly speaking I have no objection over positive thinking. Matter of facts I’ve read many books on Positive Mental Attitude authored by the well known motivational speaker the late Norman Vincent Peale.
My argument is to think positive is too narrowing minded. My suggestion to you is when you think positive please think negative as well. Just as the Malaysian well known figure - Billy Lim, the Failure Guru, once said: “Life is part positive and part negative, if you only want just the positive side, it means you are living only part of life.” Therefore, a complete prospective towards life are from both plus and minus sides then the pros and the cons could be balance up and be identified.
To give you some illustrations:
In business, my senior take a negative forecast and I take a positive projection. So when we charge forward we are already prepared for the worst, but we are proactively plan ahead and take positive action to ensure our success.
In relationship, couple needs to positively expecting they will be in love forever and ever lasting, but they need to negatively aware that if they did not treat each other with care and love, there is always possibility of breaking up.
Tonight, right at this moment, I negatively fearing I might not be able to win myself a trophy, but I am positive so long I present my very best, the audience will love it, so do the judges.
In conclusion, Positive Thinking does trigger a person motivation to charge forward and encourage them to live life the fullness. Whereas Negative Thinking creates a sense of anxiety and thus prevention is taken to ensure survival.
My message is clear Positive Thinking will get you ahead and Negative Thinking will ensure you survival at all time. Therefore Lets Prepare for the worst and work for the best.
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