Fake It Till You Make It: The Power of Positive Thinking
Image Courtesy: Foundations Wellness
Growing up playing volleyball, my mom always told me to envision the outcome I wanted for each game. Visualize every pass, every serve, the way I would hustle on the court and be the best I could be. Frankly, I thought this tactic was completely unhelpful. How could just thinking about how I wanted to play make me any better on the court?
As I’ve gotten older, I have begun to see the error in my ways. As much as we all hate to admit it, positive thinking really is a valuable tool we have at our disposal. I’ve always been skeptical about any sort of manifestation. Honestly, I still don’t think it really works in the way we expect it to. Just believing something outside of our control will happen doesn’t make it true. The things we can control with manifestation are our beliefs about ourselves.
I never tried out any sort of positive thinking tactics until about a year ago, and it has completely changed the way I think about myself—saying I love myself in the mirror every day.
You may think it's cringy or just something that won’t work, but I promise it does. I definitely felt stupid the first time I tried it, but now I am a huge believer. A lot of our self-talk is extremely negative—if you fail a test or make a big mistake in life, the easiest response is to tell yourself “I hate myself,” “I’m the worst,” or “I’m a failure.” We say things to ourselves that we would never say to a friend or someone we love. We should give ourselves the same grace we give others when they make a mistake. By saying three simple words in the mirror every day, you can rewire your brain to expect love instead of hate. A lot of confidence and self-love can come from pretending.
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That’s not to say that just pretending everything in the world is good makes it so, but pretending that you love yourself (even if you may not at the moment) is never a bad thing. The worst that happens if you believe in yourself while loving yourself and allowing room for mistakes is falling a bit short of your goal. We’re all drawn to strong, confident people, and becoming one is as easy as deciding to be positive about yourself.
No one can tell you you’re wrong if you love yourself or think you can achieve any goal you set your mind to. No one knows you as well as you know yourself, and no one spends as much time with you, either. Self-love can be a long and tiring path to take, but you are the person you will spend the rest of your life with. That life will be much more enjoyable if you relish that company.
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So, take a chance on yourself. Practice positive thinking, affirmations, manifestation, and whatever you think will make you the best friend you can be to yourself. What have you got to lose?
Strike Out,
Writer: Lydia Coddington
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
Tallahassee