Like computers, particularly search engines in the internet, the mind also generates thoughts and ideas this way – quick and easy, provides plentiful results, yet with complications. We can never ask a search engine to list only the ones we need, the appropriate ones, and to neglect those that hardly match what we are looking for. Likewise, relevant and irrelevant thoughts will also always pop up in our minds. We can never avoid it, but we can always check them one by one and classify as to positive or negative thoughts.

Consider the situation where you want to buy a present for your grandmother’s birthday but you have no money to afford one. And so, using your mind, you think of possible ways to acquire money. After some time, this is what you have come up with:

- Run errands for somebody to pay you - Ask money from Mom and Dad - Steal money from Mom and Dad - Sell your things you don’t use anymore - Sell brothers and sisters’ things - Beg money from strangers - Apply for a part-time job - Ask money from friends - Borrow money from friends - Join contests with cash money as prize - Gamble As we have mentioned earlier, the mind will produce all sorts of things – good or bad, right or wrong – and we can never avoid it. What we can do is to organize and arrange them according to the level of their uprightness, i.e. What is a good and decent way in which I can acquire money? A better way? The best way?, or to classify them according to decency, i.e. What are the good ways? Which are the bad ways? Now, let us try solving and use our mind in dealing with this.

Among the ideas in the list generated by the mind, such as to run errands for somebody, to ask money from parents, to sell things that aren’t in use anymore, to apply for a job, to borrow money, and to join contests are those that we can say proper and acceptable ways in acquiring money. These thoughts are what we call positive thoughts. On the other hand, to steal money, to sell things that aren’t yours, to beg money from strangers, to ask money from other people, and to gamble are inappropriate and unacceptable solutions to the problem. They are considered negative thoughts.

In the mind, these positive and negative thoughts are always in conflict. What wins among them is shown through our actions and behavior towards things. In the example above, if what you did is anything among the “proper and acceptable” ways, then the positive thoughts won over the negative. Alternatively, if you chose to do any of the “inappropriate and unacceptable” ways, then the negative thoughts had won over the positive ones. Positive Thoughts

Encarta Dictionary (2003) defines the tem “positive” as “confident, optimistic, and focusing on the goods things rather than the bad.” Therefore, positive thoughts are sets of ideas in the mind that brings confidence, optimism, and focus to an individual. Familiar with the song Beautiful by Christina Aguillera? This is a good example of a song with words pertaining to positive outlook on how to see one’s self. Below is the complete lyrics of the song: