This is the fourth in a series of five posts on creating a positive mindset to start 2018. On Christmas Day, I discussed how the week between Christmas and New Year's is a great time to reset our goals for 2018. Following that, I'm writing a series of five posts this week on how to use positive thinking to set us up for success in 2018. My first post discussed the principle of doing no harm in our thoughts, words and actions and its relationship and practical application to positive thinking. My second post discussed how to apply compassion to help maintain a positive mindset in the face of negative influences. Yesterday's post discussed the importance of a consistent practice of positive thinking to fight against the tide of entropy and decay that will, if left unchecked, allow negative thinking to grow and take root. Tomorrow, I will conclude this little exercise with some thoughts on positive thinking in response to, and in the face of, obstacles and disappointment when we don't fulfill our goals.
Today's post is on Newton's First Law and how to apply it to start a practice of positive thinking even from the most unhappy and negative points in our lives. It is a cruel irony that when we are at our lowest -- at our most desperately unhappy point -- we find it hardest to start the long climb up. It is also a cruel irony that when we are at a place of contentment and satisfaction, and when it would be easiest to incorporate a practice of positive thinking, we are least motivated and least likely to spend the effort required to start it. In the first situation, shifting our focus to positive thinking would be a very effective way to give us what we need -- a way out of the darkness, while in the second situation, positive thinking would be an effective way of ensuring that we maintain equanimity and stay away from the darkness that waits below.
Newton's First Law
Newton's First Law is the law of inertia: a body at rest will stay at rest and a body in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an unbalanced force. The cruelty of inertia is the "unbalanced force" part. It takes a disproportionately large expenditure of energy to start that initial push into motion. The benefit of inertia is that once that energy is expended, it takes a relatively smaller (although not necessarily small) amount of energy to stay in motion. Think of any exercise session -- the hardest part is starting out. The toughest part of any run for me is always the first mile, or the first 12-15 minutes (I'm a really, really slow runner). After that, it gets a lot easier. Even sprints and pick-ups, where I'm running a lot harder, feel somehow easier than thise first "easy" 12-15 minutes.
It is the same with changing our patterns of thinking from negative to positive. That first push -- that first commitment to change -- is always the hardest. After that, each subsequent step builds on the first until the effort to continue is relatively smaller, even if such effort is not necessarily small. So if we've fallen far down into our own despair and nothing in our lives seems to be working, how do we climb up? The trick is that the first small step can be very small indeed. It can even be very, very small. What matters is not the size of the effort. What matters is not even the result of that effort. What matters is just that some effort is made to overcome the emotional inertia.
You versus the Volcano
Picture that you are heading towards the rim of a volcano. Clearly change must be made or you'll fall into a pit of molten lava. But the only change urgently required in first instance is to stop. Turning around, walking in the opposite direction, running if need be -- that can all come later. The first step is just to stop heading towards the center of that volcano. You don't want to stay near the crater too long just waiting for it to explode. But one small step at a time is a more than fine way to start.
"No matter how many steps you have taken down the wrong path -- turn around." -- Turkish proverb
Personally, I have found it surprising how quickly momentum can build when we make a consecutive series of small, healthy changes. I saw it when I faced my own serious health crisis two years ago. Within 18 months of consecutive small changes (along with a lot of help and guidance from some very good people), I accomplished more than I ever thought possible for myself. As for positive thinking -- after a series of minor but debilitating injuries this year a lot of my plans for the year have been dashed. That caused me quite a lot of despair at times and it has been a struggle to maintain a healthy and positive attitude in the face of those ongoing setbacks. I tried to build up my spirit the same way I tried last year to build up my body (once again, with generous help from some very good people). I took little steps, one step at a time.
So if things are going well for you and you are still reading these posts, perhaps you will choose to spend a few minutes thinking about starting a practice of your own. Perhaps just reading about the practice has already started to allow a few seeds of positive thinking to take root. If, however, things are stressful and dark and difficult, even the smallest amount of effort can seem impossible. but this is when changing our thoughts is most critically important. So just take little steps, one step at a time. That is often all we can do. But the good news is that it turns out to be plenty.