I publiashed this article on March 21, 1983. Do you think it is still relevant today? Let me know!

Millions of people have adopted a way of life filled with negative thinking. We are all susceptible to this kind of thinking, but there are some who are constantly thinking negatively. We sometimes magnify our problems way out of proportion. We feel that we are victims of forces beyond our control when we are really victims of our negative thoughts. This creates self pity and the feeling that we are being persecuted by others – at home, at work and on the streets. This kind of thinking is not only bad for our own physical and mental health, it also makes life difficult for those with whom we associate.

Another form of negative thinking is laziness. Socrates, the Greek philosopher, once said, “He is not only idle who does nothing, but he is idle who might be better employed.”

Laziness is often the result of monotony, doing the same thing over and over. Mental laziness can be the result of thinking the same kinds of thoughts everyday. An active and alert mind needs new thoughts and ideas to keep it alive and stimulated. Killing time is another form of laziness… and it is wasted energy. This has nothing to do with purposeful relaxation which is extremely beneficial if one is to live a balanced life.

On the other hand, creative thinking is the ability to bring forth new ideas which will assist in solving our day to day problems. It is thinking on a higher level – free of trivialities and negative thoughts. “The ability to think is the birth right of every individual” is a philosophical concept that has been passed down through the ages. Every thought, action and experience influences us in some way, shaping our character and directing our paths. Study, contemplation and meditation are aids to our total development. Thinking requires that we exercise the mind lest it become stagnant, rusty and begins to deteriorate.

Our mind is a very powerful instrument which we should seek to use in a positive and practical way. We cannot allow others to do our thinking for us, but we must pave our own paths to self-illumination and self-mastery in order to achieve whatever goals we have set for ourselves.

Each of us has certain dormant faculties within us. We have the potential to become whatsoever we will or choose. It is through the process of creating, that humankind has made all of the giant steps in modern inventions and scientific achievements. And, that process of creating has been done using positive – not negative – thinking!

“You are what you think!” If you think small – you will be small. When you think of losing, if you are filled with doubts and lack of faith and confidence in yourself – then your life will reflect these negative thoughts, your problems will be endless, you will make enemies and you will lose friends and loved ones. You will be quarrelsome, impatient, overly critical and unfriendly. Blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers and headaches will be your constant companions.

Clear away the cobwebs from your mind. What benefits have you received from such negative thoughts? Do you receive perverse pleasure in being sick, lonely, or unhappy?

You have the right to develop yourself. Start thinking positively and open the door to a new world and a NEW YOU!

Create and re-create yourself from the inside-out. Think positively from the inside-out. Stir up the positive, harmonious, live supporting thinking from within… And then live them on the outside…

Write from within. Speak from within. Live from within…