Constructive Thinking
The tragedy of many people lies in the fact that deep down they possess the ability to become happy, but do not succeed. Their success rate is very low, and failure, stress and all types of conflict and discouragement are the results thereof. Nevertheless we can all succeed in life, and achieve the greatest heights and deepest fortune. It’s sufficient to discover the secret of those people who succeeded greatly, and familiarize ourselves with their personality traits. When we analyze these fortunate people, we see they’ve taken away the biggest barrier off their accomplishments and replaced it by a powerful force.
This barrier and this powerful force lie in our subconscious. The subconscious is the whole of our attitudes and associations that constantly determine our thoughts and our behavior. It is our fundamental mentality, that, when it is defensive, trivialize our life, and when constructive, makes us grow to the highest tops. The tragedy lies herein that most people think that the subconscious cannot be influenced, so that they become lifelong victims, and after many failures start thinking that the fortune cannot be reached. But those who are fed up to struggle, start converting their defensive mentality into a constructive one. The only way to influence our subconscious is to keep on repeating positive thoughts in our imagination, and become aware of our goal. This is how the five forces originate within us, that uncompellingly lead to happiness, on the condition that they are all present.
Our first force is the belief. I believe that I can achieve my deepest desires, and can be taught all the competences therefore. Belief is the certainty before the proof has been delivered. It lies in the fact that throughout the human history, there were things that happened that overrode all expectations, and no one, when really believed in himself, hadn’t reached his limits. If others can, so can I. First believe and then see is the motto with which the biggest wonders happened. There is no chance or misfortune, nor disposition or spontaneous competence. Being able to, has always been the result of trying and doing it better, time and again. Never will I say: “I don’t know” or “I can’t”. Because if we think this way, one thing is for sure: we will never know and never be able. There is no other possibility.
Our second force is to dare. We need to have the habit to take our decisions on a predestined moment, even though we are the first ones, and even though the risks look bigger than ever before. Our subconscious keeps trying to convince us that it’s too early, and we still have all the time. We postpone the start, because we so to say don’t have all the information yet. Nevertheless it’s impossible to know everything beforehand. We need to pass the first bend, to be able to see the second. To dare means succeeding half way, and being able to only comes by trying.
Our third force is the perseverance. Perseverance is a habit easily learned, and when it exists within us we fulfill our voluntarily formed decisions till the end. Our perseverance is our biggest force, and if we undermine it, we give ourselves the death blow. If we are unsure beforehand if a certain method is the right one, we must foresee a moment of evaluation in our project. Though, till we haven’t reached that moment, we must not give up.
Our fourth force is the constructive self criticism with which we analyze our failures. Failure is non avoidable, but never the proof of inability or inaccessibility. On the one hand they confirm the fact we had the courage to try, and on the other hand they are a treasure of insight, self knowledge and self correction. A failure is a breakthrough in the right direction. Analyzing means researching just long enough to find the factors within our reach. A failure is always our fault, as long as we attribute the cause externally we have mightily lost.
Our fifth force is being able to rejoice, being able to enjoy the nice things we got and the things we have come to accomplish, without regretting our imperfections. Our joy doesn’t lie in the perfection, but in the realization to grow towards it. This sense of joy is our source of energy for the next big accomplishment.
The question can be asked why our subconscious is such an irritation. The answer is simple: it spontaneously considers the short term outcomes rather than the long term ones, and finds a good explanation for every failure. As long as we have not reeducated our subconscious, it will keep on pushing us in the wrong direction. These new ideas came along with a certain scepticism. But as I was making progress, I began to realize, that also I, just like the others, was able to reach the joy I was dreaming of. And I realized this was the last convulsion of my defensive mentality.
Now I know the key to happiness is constructive thinking.
Kris ROOSE, 1978
Translated by Rachel Thaler, 2015