How to Use Positive Thinking in Your Life to Get What You Want

Positive thinking is a general concept first introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill. The book very lightly mentions the term, yet discusses extensively the importance of positive thinking in terms of contributing to success as a whole. In his book, Hill touts the power of positive thinking to be contagious, motivating, creative, invigorating, and life-changing. For a more technical definition, read on.


"A positive mental disposition is the best medicine to combat doubt and confusion. Doubt and confusion can cause us to make poor choices. When we are positive in our thinking, doubts and confusion are kept at bay." -Napoleon Hill

So what is the proper way to go about positive thinking? As Napoleon Hill has stated in his book, Think and Grow Rich, the most important positive thinking tip is to keep your thoughts positive. This is accomplished through a variety of methods, some of which will be discussed here.

The first way to keep your thoughts positive is to cultivate your self-confidence. You must convince yourself that you are capable of doing whatever it is you desire. Believing in yourself will help you to remain focused on your goals. When you first start out thinking positively, your thoughts will be filled with optimism. Over time, you will find that your optimism grows and your confidence grows as well.

A second way to cultivate a positive thinking mindset is to ensure that your thoughts are in harmony with your values and desires. When you know where you stand with your own values, you are less likely to be distracted by what others think of you. Your own values and desires will make you feel good about yourself, making negative thoughts a thing of the past. When you always know where you stand, there is little room for doubt or negativity.

A third way to keep positive thinking in control is to remember that change is inevitable. Positive thinkers tend to focus on the future, expecting changes to occur that will improve their lives. When something changes in your life, chances are that you will perceive it in a different way. If you have a hard time picturing the changes as good, you might need to learn how to imagine them in a positive way. Remember to stay focused on the future.

When you envision something in a positive way, you have an easier time seeing it as a reality. This is because you focus on what you want instead of what you don't want. By picturing yourself achieving your goals, you focus your mind on the future and you create the opportunities to make progress toward your goals. This is much easier than focusing on the past or what could have happened. In order to change things in your life, you need to change how you think about them.

The best way to practice positive thinking is by taking a few minutes each day to visualize your goals. You can do this while looking at a clock or just sitting down, watching yourself from above or from the front. As long as you see yourself attaining your goal, you will be able to continue practicing positive thinking. It doesn't matter if you need to change a habit, respond to a situation, or think about something important, as long as you start. Once you start positive thinking about your life, it will become a way of habit and you will have no trouble attaining the things you want in life.

There are countless ways you can practice positive thinking. Some people read books, listen to music, meditate, or visit their favorite website. Others attend church regularly or try positive thinking therapies like yoga, acupressure, or aromatherapy. Still others even think positively about the day they get to go to work. Whatever your choice of activities, positive thinking will help you achieve your goals.

When practicing positive thinking in your life, you have to realize that you cannot rely solely on yourself to achieve your goals. No one is capable of doing this on their own. Sure, you might think you are motivated when you are setting goals, but unless you are willing to put in the effort, it won't happen. In order to be successful, you need to be able to align yourself with the right people. You have to have the belief in yourself that you can be successful and that others will be there to support you in your efforts. Without having these beliefs, positive thinking will do you no good.


To improve your chances of achieving your goals, you need to make sure that you are setting realistic and achievable goals. If you are looking for a promotion at your job, focus on the tasks at hand and try not to talk yourself out of what you want. Focus on your goals and create a path to get there. When you can clearly see the benefits of positive thinking in your life, your chances of achieving something in life are greatly increased. Once you start seeing the positive side of everything, you will find that life is much more positive and easier to deal with in general.