The Boomerang Effects of Positive Thinking and Negative Thinking
Have you ever heard the phrase "Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it."?
As with most well-known phrases, there is some type of real-world reason why that phrase came into being to begin with. The effects of positive thinking and negative thinking - although not official "wishes" - do nonetheless manifest out in the real world.
Have you ever known someone who was constantly unhappy, complained all the time, and seemed to always have a dark cloud hanging over their head? Likewise, have you ever known someone who was so cheery and upbeat that you would purposely seek them out when you were feeling down, because their positive attitude always made you feel better?
Photo Credit: psycho_royWith each of those types of people, the circumstances of their lives tend to be in alignment with their chronic ways of thinking. Yes, there are exceptions, but as a general rule, the phrase "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer" tends to be accurate. The reason it is accurate is not because of some cosmic conspiracy, but rather because those people habitually have rich or poor thoughts.
At the same time, habitual positive or negative thoughts will also serve to consistently create positive or negative circumstances in your life. In addition, it is not always the long-term thoughts that get you, but the short-term thoughts as well.
If you have very strong negative or positive thoughts about something, those thoughts become your dominate vibration (for you Law of Attraction fans), or your dominate driving force, and something is going to manifest out of that eventually.
The other day I allowed myself to get too stressed out over some projects that I was working on, and I ended up spending several hours reliving the stress as I was trying to discuss the situation, and come up with some solutions. Long story short, by the time the discussion was over, I felt much better, and all was well in the world.
However, the next day, I got spanked by all of that negativity coming back at me.
Although I felt great the next day, and I was back in my normal positive mood, the negativity that I had created the night before hit me first thing the next morning with some highly unexpected and generally unpleasant circumstances.
I am proud to say that I had learned my lesson, though. I kept my positive attitude about me, even though by that point I was starting to feel like life was taking pot-shots at me just for the fun of it. The result of maintaining a positive attitude about the whole thing almost immediately turned into benefits for me, however.
In one circumstance, I was able to quickly and easily fix something that otherwise would have been disastrous (ever lose 2 years worth of bookmarks in your web browser?). In the other circumstance, I was able to let it go without becoming stressed about it, and found not one, but two different ways of dealing with it, and neither of them are very time-consuming or stress-inducing.
The moral of the story is that your thoughts - whether they are positive or negative - will color your experiences from that point forward. Sometimes you'll see this effect over a lifetime, and other times you will see the effect in the short-term.
The effect is always there, however. Just like a boomerang, your predominant thoughts are sent out into the world, and then they come back and hit you upside the head.
Knowing that your thoughts will come back to you eventually in the form of your life's positive or negative experiences, why would you ever allow yourself to have a thought that you weren't going to like when it came back around?
Learn from my example: Don't toss a boomerang out there that you aren't going to want to catch when it comes back!
Related Content:
I have been listening to Mike Dooley's Infinite Possibilities program, and the experiences that I describe in this post are perfect examples of what Mike teaches in that program. That makes this whole thing even worse, because I actually KNEW BETTER than to continue with my negative thoughts, but I did it anyway. I again invite you to learn from my example, and I also encourage you to check out Infinite Possibilities. I am only on Disc 3 out of 12, and it is already proving to be far more valuable than what I paid for it.
Click below to remember what you learned!
Quotable Quotes and Merchandise for the Offline World
Lyman Reed said
am March 12 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Ahhh… the old “came back to bite me.” Been there, done that, got a whole bunch of t-shirts. :)
One of the things that’s important to remember is to not be negative about the negativity. So many people (I was one of them!) when they are first introduced to the principle of our thoughts becoming things end up even more negative - because it’s the first time they’ve really seen just what they are doing to themselves. So it’s important to remember - beating on yourself for having a negative thought can often be worse than the original thought itself!
Thanks for another great post, Aaron.
aaron said
am March 12 2008 @ 11:15 pm
Lyman,
That’s a great point. Most of the conscious creation teachers will advise that you recognize a negative thought for what it is, and then move on. Don’t ignore it, but don’t dwell on it, either.
Thanks for bringing up that important distinction!
Dean - Law of Attraction For Beginners said
am March 12 2008 @ 11:27 pm
Hi Aaron,
Boy, do I ever know what you are talking about.
As much as I think the good thoughts and ask questions like “How can I make this happen?” old thought patterns still creep in. Less than they use to, but they are still creeping in.
Most recently it’s revolved around time, perception of the lack of time, not getting everything done in time, things taking more time than planned and all this seems to be when I allowed myself to take time away from meditating and, I admit it, watch TV. (Stargate Atlantis, The Tudors, The Wire and now Battlestar Galactica is about to start it’s final season.) The hazards of my job, working for a major cable provider, is free TV and movie channels. Did someone say self-discipline?
Well, those moments of self-indulgence have been replaced with more focus, but those aligators (deadlines) are still snapping at my rearend and I’m just tending to the closest one until the time buffer expands a bit. (Heavy sigh)
Now it’s time to relax back into the flow.
Oooohhhhmmmmm
aaron said
am March 13 2008 @ 7:58 am
Dean,
My recent experiences were also based largely on similar concepts to what you talked about - looming deadlines, a perceived lack of time, etc.
Yes, discipline does enter into it, and staying “on task” is important and necessary. At the same time, not focusing on our perceptions of negative things happening due to an apparent lack of time is equally important.
As you say, relaxing back into the flow.
p.s. - I’m a Sci-Fi fan as well, and there is SO much out there to potentially park it in front of the TV over. I allow myself a reasonable amount of time to do just that so that I never feel like I’m not getting any “play time”.
Steve said
am March 13 2008 @ 10:06 am
That’s very true Aaron. Life was just recently ‘throwing punches’ at me. I realized sometimes you just have to let it be, and not react, so you can collect yourself and move forward.
I try to remind myself that tough times are only tests, and they’re easy to pass if you know what to do. Just being optimistic and staying strong is the way to go.
Great article, keep it up!
aaron said
am March 13 2008 @ 10:17 am
You are totally right, Steve. Reacting in and of itself is just asking for trouble. However, responding by thinking things through without letting emotions get in the way will always lead you down a better path.
Each of our tests make us better prepared for future events, so they are something to be grateful for! :)
Jeannette Maw said
am March 13 2008 @ 11:01 am
I related to everything you said here, Aaron. Earlier this week I also had a looming deadline that, based on things I said over the weekend, ended up feeling like one of Dean’s “alligators.”
It made me think about the term itself: “deadline.” That’s not the most fabulous-feeling word, is it? As I recognized nothing good was going to happen while stressed out, I decided to just forget about the “deadline” and let it unfold perfectly. Since it is always that (I just forget sometimes).
It turns out my editor was flowing some very similar stuff (no content turned in on time) - so no wonder.
From now on, I’m thinking of “deadlines” more as “guidelines,” and if I miss out on something, then I’ve simply been spared!
What’s worked out is that the piece I’m turning in today (four days late) is much more in line with what she wanted than the original one I was struggling with. And having three clients cancel this week turned out perfect for allowing extra time to write! And I don’t normally look at client cancellations as good things. lol
Pleasure reading you, Aaron, as always. :)
aaron said
am March 13 2008 @ 2:05 pm
Jeannette! Long time, no see - always glad to hear your view on things! :) (and yes, I know, I haven’t visited in forever)
I LOVE what you said about guidelines instead of deadlines. That is a much better way to think about the whole thing, and the way we think powers the way we feel, and on it goes down the line.
I know there have been times when I felt pressured to write in some definite time line, and I totally struggled. However, once I released my attachment to getting it done, then the creativity started to flow again.
It’s amazing how that works.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jeannette, and for your visit! :)
Maria - Never the Same River Twice said
am March 13 2008 @ 4:40 pm
Oh, whatever. I KNOW life is out to get me!
Just kidding! I’ve been working over the last couple of years to change some of the negative thought patterns I used to engage in all the time, and I do find my life going more smoothly now.
What I struggle with are those times when three or four negative events come up in a row. One of the things I’ve started to do is immediately go online and make a small donation to a charity. Then at least I can FEEL better, if only for a moment.
aaron said
am March 13 2008 @ 4:41 pm
Maria,
That’s a great concept! Whether it is a small donation to charity, or anything that will give you a happy, upbeat feeling - even for moment - it is often enough to turn the tide back in our favor.
Thanks for sharing that!
Erin Melnick - Modern & Millions Maven said
am March 13 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Hi All,
This is my first comment on this blog, and I’m very thankful to have found you all.
This truly is a quandary for people that first start taking responsibility for all that happens in their lives: the good, the bad, and the indifferent.
Their immediate reaction is to freak out a little bit … saying: I can’t control my thoughts every second of every day … and it gets to the point where they start literally counting their negative thoughts … marking them down on tick sheets and the whole bit.
I know this, because not too, too long ago, that’s exactly what I was doing!
One technique that I learned from my mentor, David Neagle, is to physically take a step to the side, and say to myself: Isn’t this interesting!
This allows me to acknowledge that I’ve manifested an undesirable situation, take responsibility, but also objectively look for the greater lesson. Then, the more challenging the situation, the greater reward, as I can view it as a new opportunity to step over another “success line”.
Anway, I could go on and on here, but I just wanted to thank you all for your thoughts. I’m going to subscribe to the RSS fee straight away!
Warmly,
Erin.
Erin Thoms Melnick
Modern & Millions Maven
http://www.crosscountrytour.com
aaron said
am March 13 2008 @ 5:00 pm
Erin,
A hearty welcome to Today is that Day, and thank you for sharing so many of your thoughts!
I like the idea of taking a step to the side - physically, if necessary - to acknowledge the fact that we have manifested something undesirable, and then deal with it in a manner that is more pleasing than we felt before.
Often, just the conscious realization that we have put ourselves into a negative set of circumstances is enough to break us out of the rut of continuing to create more of the same.
Thanks for sharing, Erin, and again - welcome!
Brad Baggett said
am March 13 2008 @ 5:33 pm
This article is right on the money. I write about the power of thinking positive all the time and how the World is too focused on the negatives. If every one of us would just spend the majority of our time thinking positive and giving thanks for all the wonderful things are going on, the World would be a much better place!
Here is a recent article I have written on the same subject:
http://juiceofchampions.com/home/positive-thoughts-produce-positive-lives-3
aaron said
am March 13 2008 @ 6:44 pm
Brad.
You are absolutely right - positive thoughts create positive lives, just as negative thoughts create negative lives.
Just by reminding ourselves of these concepts more frequently, we would all start to feel better about life in general. Not everyone needs to turn into a motivational speaker or anything, but no one enjoys feeling bad, so why not take the steps to feel good instead?
Thanks for the comment, Brad, and for sharing your article.
Blooming colors warm the heart! : JuiceofChampions.com said
am March 13 2008 @ 9:30 pm
[...] We all love the outdoors and have recently, since the time change, been grilling out almost every night. It gives all of us time to appreciate all the positive things we have going and to really enjoy the outdoors. We let our little one run around while my wife and I get some good quality conversation time. He runs around pointing and is amazed by everything. It is so evident that we all need to learn lessons from our children. They take on life with an appreciation for everything and do not hesitate to explore and enjoy life. Children are almost always fearless until they are influenced by us. It is so nice to see him run and play and just live life with out a care in the world. Even when he falls he will just pick himself back up and keep going (he even laughs and does it on purpose quite often). Children appreciate a bug, a flower, a leaf falling from the sky, an airplane going by, and even the wind blowing gently. Imagine if all of us would just appreciate the little things in life and focus on all the positive things happening around us. The power of positive thinking is unlimited! Adults are bombarded by so much negativity from main stream media that it is easy to forget the simple pleasures in life. You should never allow negative thoughts to limit you and your ability to succeed and grow. Stay positive and you are more productive, happier, and healthier! [...]
Suzie Cheel said
am March 14 2008 @ 3:24 am
How true, we create our world through our words and our thought, both positive and negative. We can only hold one thought at a time so best keep them positive
aaron said
am March 14 2008 @ 3:47 pm
Suzie,
Given the amazing power of our thoughts, it’s probably a GOOD thing that we can only hold one at a time.
Can you imagine the anarchy?? ;)
Ellie Walsh said
am March 15 2008 @ 1:22 pm
Ahhh the boomerang - I Love it when I am spewing positive stuff!! I keep catching it and throwing it back out there!
BUT — when it is that stress stuff - Eewww — Here is the mistake I can make with that boomerang — I try to ignore it - I don’t catch it but it doesn’t go away instead it gets stuck around my neck! :shock:
I know that well from this last bout of sinus stuff I had going on… It stayed stuck with me for weeks!
I need to remember to catch all the boomerangs and make peace with them. Yup - I threw that one out there - okay - not a big deal - I can change it and throw out a more productive one….
Todd said
am March 15 2008 @ 2:02 pm
Great work Aaron…good points
Todd
Aggie said
am March 15 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Wow..I read the post, feeling like been there done that! I have been going through a really rough patch, and although I have a lot to deal with, I justt CAN’T let it get to me so bad, that I lose focus and shadow my good thoughts. Thanks for sharing!!
sunnyray - seven rays meditations said
am March 17 2008 @ 3:53 am
As pointed out in excellent post, the power of positive thinking, and equally (unfortunately) of negative thinking is great. We attract the same, or very similar thoughts as those we send out. But very likely what comes back is not necessarily our own thought energy. Thinking is like opening a channel for all those similar energies that float around in the space about us.
Thanks for this great post!
aaron said
am March 17 2008 @ 10:57 am
@Ellie - You’re absolutely right! We have to be willing to take responsibility for what we throw out there. By doing so, however, we become even more motivated to toss the good stuff out there, and then we get to wait happily and expectantly for it to come back around!
@Todd - Thanks, Todd! I always value your opinion!
@Aggie - Yes, it can be especially hard to focus on the good when things are hectic/frustrating/fearful, etc. However, that is when we need the MOST to focus on the positive. I find that my faith that thinking/feeling/acting positive will bring me what I want gets me through the rough spots, even if it is sometimes hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
@Sunnyray - When we toss a boomerang out there, it will indeed go flying through other thoughts, and attract more of the same. All the more reason to only throw the good thoughts out there, because then you not only get back your own positive stuff, but similar circumstances as well.
Great comments - thanks for participating and adding to the conversation, everyone! :)
Fearless Dreams said
am March 17 2008 @ 11:41 am
Thanks for the boomerang metaphor.
And for the idea that negative consequences may come to visit when we’re in a great upbeat mood.
Another image that describes the consequences of our thoughts/feelings/actions is the idea of branching paths.
Every choice of thought, feeling, or action is like taking a step down a different path.
I can be as happy as I want tomorrow, but if I turned onto a certain path yesterday, I may find trouble.
Joel
aaron said
am March 17 2008 @ 1:00 pm
Joel,
Thanks for sharing that point of view of looking at this idea. Each person can “get their head around” something in a way that is specific to them, and your image is a unique way of looking at this concept.
Tom Eng said
am March 30 2008 @ 9:02 pm
Wow, this article is right on the money. I completely agree with your remarks about people being polarized toward being positive or negative. That said, I do believe the poor can become rich, but it’s generally much harder. I wish children were taught how to be positive and how to deal with negativity. If these types of success concepts were taught in schools or if parents learned to teach them, think of the difference it would make.
Regards,
Tom Eng
http://www.helpspotlight.com
aaron said
am March 31 2008 @ 9:12 am
Tom,
I totally agree. These are the types of concepts that should be a regular part of the curriculum in any school system. Academic knowledge is important, but keeping yourself in the right state of mind is critical - no matter how much education you have. Thanks for your comment!
Carnival of Positive Thinking said
am April 20 2008 @ 6:56 am
[...] M. Potts presents The Boomerang Effects of Positive Thinking and Negative Thinking posted at Today is that [...]