Chapter 6: The Role Of The Language We Use
The importance of language in positive thinking is underscored by the fact that thoughts are typically formulated in the form of language. This is especially the case during intimate conversations – issues or subjects that an individual thinks or even discusses with self.
Therefore, positive thinking is directly impacted by the type of language one adopts. For example, if one uses negative language, then it is difficult to maintain positive thoughts, which means that adopting a language that is encouraging and supportive helps establish a platform upon which positive thinking is built.
Positive Language
Speakers of the English language often have the option of choosing a positive statement or a negative statement in delivering the same meaning. For example, “Come to the meeting on time” and “do not come to the meeting late” both provide a similar message. However, the connotation behind the former statement is significantly less negative. This highlights the influence of language in the binary choice of either positive or negative sounding, which also applies to thoughts.
English is laden with several opportunities to formulate negative speech instead of more positive dialogue, and thus offers users a chance to choose the tone of their language and the depicted attitude and mentality as well. Consultants in the business sector argue that the choice of a positive language bolsters the ability of effective communication between 30 and 40 percent times than when a negative version of the language is utilized.
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The choice of positive words (language) is crucial in shaping the type of thoughts and inner conversations that you have. Therefore, choosing positive words will help bolster positive thoughts in your mind. Encouraging supportive and triumphant ideas will inspire you towards positive conversations with your peers, family, and those you are working with as well.
Positive thinking also underpins a positive mentality and attitude, which is essential in encouraging progress in some of the issues you are facing at home, in the community, or at work. Therefore, this shows that the type of language or thoughts one adopts (positive or negative) have a significant impact on their behavior and mentality, which means that this choice affects their brain.
Positive And Negative Language And The Brain
Studies that focused on the functioning of the brain and its relationships with the words that an individual uses reveal that words have an impact on the brain and how it functions. For example, when you choose positive words such as “lovingkindness,” “love,” and “peace,” you can modify your brain functions through the surge in cognitive reasoning and bolstering the activity in your frontal lobe.
In this case, maintain the use of positive words in an extended period can lead to the activation of motivational centers of the brain. This will lead to marked manifestations in your attitude, mentality, work ethic, and overall approach to specific tasks in life and work.
Alternatively, when you choose to use negative words consistently, you stand in the way of the production of certain neurochemicals which are crucial stress management. Therefore, negative words often lead to the surge in negative thoughts which in turn lead to the activation of the brain’s fear center.
This induces the production of stress-producing hormones into the system. As a result, these neurotransmitters and hormones interrupt the flow of the reasoning and logic processes in the brain and thus disrupt the normal functioning of the brain.
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Therefore, the choice of language has a significant impact on the overall thoughts that an individual adopts. Positive words bolster positive thoughts and vice versa. Additionally, positive thinking is crucial in establishing a hormonal balance in the brain that encourages motivation, a positive mindset, and the willingness to perform to the best of an individual’s capacity.
On the other hand, negative thoughts are a significant drag on the functioning of the brain, which is manifested in the negative, demotivated, and stress-driven mentality that is dull and lacking in drive. To adopt positive thinking, there are several aspects that one must adopt. These are highlights by the significant characteristics of positive thinking, as discussed below.
Characteristics Of Positive Thinking
Monitoring Your Self-Talk
People typically talk to themselves consistently. In many cases, the external dialogue begins with the inner one. Therefore, positive thinking is characterized by the choice of positive language in the external conversation. This is because just like the internal dialogue influences the external exchange, our choice of language in the external dialogue will also affect the inner thoughts as well.
Therefore, there is a need to choose a positive language in the way you dialogue externally, which will, in turn, shape the thinking you adopt into a positive one.
Establishing A Psychological Space
Positive thinking is essential in helping individuals to address unexpected events in their lives. For example, when something happens to a person out of the blue, it is typical to have a kneejerk reaction that is often negative. This is especially the case when an individual has negative thinking.
However, positive thinking establishes a psychological space that pauses, takes some deep breaths, and seeks more information before the kneejerk reaction. Therefore, positive thinking allows you to be more measured and deliberate in handling different issues or meeting various events in life.
Moreover, this approach will enable you to create some distance between the subject event and your reaction. In many cases, in negative thinking, the line between the event and the reaction becomes blurred, which means that any logical thinking is inhibited because of the surge of subjectivity. Therefore, positive thinking allows for a considered reaction after weighing all the viable options from different perspectives.
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Positive Responses
The view or perception of an event can be either positive or negative. However, by adopting positive thinking, you can see events in your life either through a positive perspective or at least a neutral one. Therefore, instead of placing blame on others, you can take ownership of your role in improving things.
Additionally, it helps you to communicate confidence and optimism to the rest consciously. Positive responses also help establish strong overarching relationships with others, which bolster happiness, positivity, and motivation of others. Such good relations also reflect on the self in the form of self-respect and self-confidence as well.
Become A Positive Contagion
Positive thinking plays a crucial role in shaping the mentality, attitude, and even behavior of an individual. People adopting positive thinking exude self-confidence and the trust of others to do the right thing. This is especially important because we tend to mirror the people whom we spend the most time with.
This underscores the need to make sure that when people mirror you, they display positive thinking, healthy behavior, and a motivated mentality as well. The underlying aim here is to lift others as opposed to bringing them down.
The Importance of Positive Language
Positive language highlights what you can do as opposed to what you cannot do. It also highlights a caring mentality, focuses on the individual abilities as opposed to the disabilities, and overall seeks to highlight success as opposed to failure.
In spoken language, it helps inspire, encourage, support, and motivate others to achieve the best they can. In thoughts, positive language is crucial in highlighting individual competencies and thus helps to establish self-esteem, confidence, and belief that are crucial in achieving laid out targets and overcoming challenges as well.
Positive thinking comes in the form of “what succeeds” as opposed to “what fails.” Therefore, this mentality is “problem-solving” because it highlights areas where you can help, repair, improve, enhance, or fix the current challenges. It magnifies the individual’s capacity to solve the difficulties, which helps inspire the coming up of solutions, minimizing the discouraging fear, and bolstering motivation even in the face of adversity.
The Relationship Between Positive Thinking and a Positive Attitude
A positive attitude is desired in many aspects of life at home, in the community, and at work. Therefore, there is a need to actively pursue the nurturing and development of such an attitude to bolster your chances of success at work, relationships, and relating to social constructs in the community.
In many ways, positive thinking plays a central role in the adoption and development of a positive attitude. However, it is essential to note that positive thinking is not a naturally occurring concept of life; instead, it is a conscious choice that an individual adapts to influence their life in a targeted way. Therefore, a positive attitude can be acquired through the adoption of a positive thinking approach and the overarching perception of the world as well.
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Some of the ways one can adopt a sustainable and effective positive attitude include reading motivating and inspiring stories regarding people that have achieved success. This will motivate and inspire you as well as show you the areas in which they succeeded in making the right choices that led them to success.
Using affirmations, creating mental scenes of success, and actively avoiding negative thoughts to thrive in your mind will establish a platform for positive thinking and thus a positive attitude. Moreover, adopting a pro-active lifestyle will help you to avoid getting negative. If you keep yourself busy, the chances of developing and harboring negative thoughts will be markedly reduced.
Therefore, this section highlights the importance of positive thinking to be its influence on the attitudes and behaviors of the subject individual. In this regard, positive thinking bolsters the development of positive behaviors characterized by motivation, self-confidence as well as supportive behavior.
