By Mary Eby
Is the glass half full? Or is it half empty? This is a question that many have heard, usually asked to determine if someone thinks positively or negatively. But no one really thinks of what kind of impact these two thought processes could actually have on someone and their life as a whole.
Most students walk into a test thinking to themselves that they are guaranteed to fail. But, is it possible that they set themselves up for failure with negative thinking? When someone closes their mind off to positive thoughts and only allows negative ones instead, they are narrowing their mind significantly.
When thinking negatively, the mind is closed off to the various options it has. The world around is shut off, and ultimately, opportunities for success are closed off and sealed shut. A negative attitude towards things can consume one’s thoughts and reduce overall productivity. For example, when there is a long list of things to do and all the mind can think about is how much there is on the list and how long it will take, the stress really just creates more time wasted on worrying rather than doing it and looking forward to the positive outcome of finishing.
Sophomore Olivia Curth stated, “If you think that something is going to turn out positive, you have more confidence in yourself, which gives you a higher chance that the situation will actually turn out well. If you wanted to create that positive atmosphere to help yourself, I think you should try to have a happier life in general. Having happier friends and a good friend group can change how everything else in your life is affected too.”
As it connects to school, a positive attitude can mean everything for grades. As Curth said, positive thinking can give you more confidence in yourself. If this is related to a test, thinking positively about the outcome of the test can give the test taker the confidence to feel like they know the test material and what they are doing during the actual test, and earlier while studying. Not only can that test then be aced, but doing well on a test can create a positive feeling in someone which can then be put back into the next grade. Meaning, one spout of positive thinking can create a recycled chain of positive thinking, and then, a positive life overall.
Being positive can open a person up to healthier mindsets, whether it be inside or outside the educational environment. This positivity can then lead to a higher self esteem, a more positive outlook on life, and more overall happiness. Walking into school everyday with a positive attitude can help people feel more confident and ease panic and stress, which can lead to negative behavior and attitudes. Positive thinking could prove to be helpful to a lot of people if they would simply give the approach a chance. There is no harm in adding a small dose of positivity into one’s overall life in general.
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