Tim Tebow’s ability to win games in miraculous fashion,
while maintaining his deeply religious faith, has made him one of the most talked
about athletes in the US. However, behind his religious faith is positive
thinking, a trait which can be used by anyone with the willingness to do so.
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best
way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” – Steve Jobs
That’s an inspirational quote and it probably makes
you feel good inside. However, inspirational quotes and self help books can
only do so much. A state of consistent
positive thinking,
especially when the going gets tough, can only be achieved with a conscious effort
on your part. Your mind is like a muscle and the more you use it, the more
powerful it will become.
Neuroscientists have proved
that it is possible to physically change the structure of your brain just by
thinking about certain things on a consistent basis, an emerging science called
neuroplasticity. Their studies suggest that your
thoughts have the power to change your brain on a physical level and functional
level. A Times
article (The Brain: How The Brain Rewires Itself) notes how
a neuroscientist recruited Buddhist monks, with years of meditation experience,
to have their brain activity studied under a functional magnetic resonance imaging
tube (fMRI). He found out that the brains of the monks were functionally
different from average university students, allowing them to achieve feelings
of happiness heads and shoulders above their placebo student group. Their
brains were also physically different because they were releasing strong gamma
signals even when they weren’t in meditation. The monks’ thousands of hours of
meditation changed their brain! Imagine what you could do if you “created” a
new positive thinking brain for yourself.
This is not to say that you
should become a Buddhist monk. Rather, when you are afraid to do something, don’t
rely on inspirational quotes or movies to get you out of your funk. Try, really
try, to think positively and take action. Look around you. Most people are like
zombies, going about their day, thinking about “what ifs.” A real effort to
change the way you think is accomplished by few people, the same ones whose
success you marvel at. Once you make that effort, you can live a life as happy
and successful as Tim Tebow’s.
