Positive Thinking?

This is a mini rant against the concept of positive thinking and how inept it is in getting results.

Grasshopper Notes are the writings from America's Best Known Hypnotherapist John Morgan. His podcasts contain his most responded to essays and blog posts from the past two decades. 

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Transcript

Positive Thinking?

Today, I want to opine about something that might ruffle a few feathers: positive thinking.

Now, if you follow me on social media, you probably already know—I’m not exactly a card-carrying member of the Positive Thinking Fan Club. In fact, I sometimes call it “hallucinogenic thinking.” Yeah, I do that.

Look—I’m not saying we should all walk around being grumpy and pessimistic. Of course, it’s better to think positive than to think negative. But here's where I draw the line: thinking positive doesn’t determine any outcome.

It’s not a magical force that changes reality. If it were, we’d all be giant lottery winners. Thinking positive feels good, but it doesn’t do much on its own. Speaking of magical forces . . .

I’m reminded of a quote from business consultant Fernando Flores. He once said: “Hope is the raw material for losers.”Now I know—ouch. That’s harsh. But . . . there’s a lot of truth in that.

Hope is just a mindset that fills the gap while you wait for reality to deliver what you’re hoping for. It can be comforting, sure. But too many people confuse hoping, wishing, and positive thinking with actually doing something. As if sitting on the couch and thinking good thoughts is a master plan. It’s not.

So here’s what I suggest instead: Be optimistic.

See, optimism isn’t the same as blind positivity. When you’re optimistic, you presume there is a solution—even if you haven’t found it yet. That mindset tunes your senses to spot possibilities, options, pathways. You stay alert. You’re looking. You’re ready.

Positive thinking? It locks onto just one outcome—the one you wish would happen.

And pessimism? That’s the other extreme. You see fewer options, you downplay the ones you do see, and you sit around stewing in a “poor me” soup. Not a great place to be.

So yes, I’m optimistic you’ll take this message in, and I’m curious if you’ll ditch the wishing and hoping, and adopt a mindset that actually gets more results.

So let me leave you with two questions to get curious about:

One: If you hope in one hand and spit in the other . . . which hand fills up first?

And two: Are you positive you’re going to win the lottery?

All the best,

John