We often hear about the power of “positive thinking,” but what does that really mean? And is it even real? The idea that thoughts are inherently positive or negative assumes a kind of duality. Yet, thoughts arise in consciousness—and consciousness itself does not divide into opposites. There is no polarity in the space from which thoughts emerge.
Duality and the Mind
The external world is built on opposites: hot and cold, up and down, night and day. But these distinctions don’t exist in the source of your thoughts. Thoughts are created in the mind, which is a faculty of consciousness. They arise from within, shaped primarily by memory. Even when you’re responding to someone else’s ideas, you’re still forming your own internal version. In that sense, all thinking remains an inside-out process. You are the originator.
Think of this: a Manchester United fan might think, “We’ll beat Liverpool”—a thought that feels good to them. But to a Liverpool fan, that same thought is unwanted. So, is it positive or negative? Neither. The label depends entirely on the observer.
Even tone can trick us. You might say “I hate you” with a smile, or “I love you” with a scowl. Emotionally and energetically, these don’t align with the words. That’s because the energy of a thought depends on your state of being—not just the words you choose.
The Trap of Black-and-White Thinking
Because the world around us is built on duality, we often think in opposites. Language becomes polarized. We label people and situations as good or bad, right or wrong. This habit seeps into our self-talk and conversations, shaping the way we describe our experiences.
But what if we stopped thinking in terms of polarity and started considering the quality of our thoughts instead? Thoughts aren’t good or bad—they’re either aligned or misaligned with your true state of being. And that state exists before thought.
Your Natural State
Most spiritual traditions and philosophies agree that there is a natural state within all of us, typically described as peaceful, loving, and joyful. These qualities aren’t opposites of fear, anger, or sadness. They aren’t positive emotions. They are your baseline, your essence.
To experience this natural state more consistently, you need to cultivate self-awareness—often through practices like meditation or contemplation. Once you’re in that space of awareness, your thoughts begin to reflect it. Not because you force them to be positive, but because they arise from a peaceful, loving, or joyful place.
Aligned vs. Misaligned Thinking
When your thoughts arise from your natural state, they are aligned. They feel calm, balanced, and clear. But when your state is distorted by attachments—whether to things, people, beliefs, or outcomes—your thoughts become misaligned.
Here’s how you can tell: in a state of alignment, feelings come first. You feel connected, then think, then act. In a misaligned state, thought comes first, usually reactive or judgmental, followed by emotion. That emotion is often unsettling—irritation, sadness, anxiety. It’s not bad, but it’s a sign your thinking is not in sync with your core nature.
This misalignment is subtle and often unconscious. But the emotional cost is real. It may go unnoticed until the emotions become chronic or disruptive. Then we start wondering why we’re always overwhelmed or reactive.
A Real-Life Example
Imagine meeting someone new who’s struggling. You feel warm and open and offer to help. This gesture comes from your natural state. But if the person responds coldly or doesn’t thank you, your conditioned beliefs might kick in—”They should be grateful,” or “That was rude.”
Now, the original state of peace has been hijacked by belief and judgment. Your thought triggers an emotion—maybe anger or sadness—and now you’re upset. But nothing changed except the meaning you attached to their response.
If you hadn’t clung to those beliefs, you might have simply responded with curiosity: “Did I misunderstand them?” You’d stay in your natural state and respond from it. This is the difference between being aligned and misaligned.
The Tension of Opposites
One of the most common traps is feeling like you should be positive. You might think, “I’m being negative—I should be more optimistic.” This inner struggle creates a kind of mental tension. You resist what you think, trying to replace it with what you believe you should think. That resistance builds into stress.
Positive thinking, when forced, can turn into self-denial. You suppress your real feelings in the name of optimism. Over time, this habit can lead to anxiety, confusion, or strained relationships. It’s not freedom—it’s internal conflict.
The Way Back to Center
You don’t need to believe in anything to return to your core. Peace, love, and joy aren’t beliefs—they’re experiences. And when you’re in that space, you no longer need external validation or mental effort to “think positively.”
Let go of the idea that you should think positively. Challenge the belief itself. Is it really true that thoughts are either positive or negative? Or is that just another learned filter we’ve mistaken for truth?
When you drop the filter, you don’t lose discernment—you gain clarity. You stop defining yourself through beliefs and start experiencing yourself directly, as you are.
From Theory to Practice
If this makes sense in theory, try bringing it into your daily life. Start noticing when you feel caught in a polarity. Pause and ask yourself: “Am I aligned with my true state right now? Or am I reacting from a belief, habit, or expectation?”
When you stop labeling thoughts as positive or negative and instead ask, “Is this thought aligned with who I truly am?”—you’ll begin to think less from reaction and more from your essence.
This isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about becoming more aware of who you’ve always been.
Reflective Practice
- Question: Why do I sometimes label others as negative?
- Reflection: How does that affect my ability to respond with compassion?
- Action: Ask a few people to share one “positive” and one “negative” thought. Then reflect together: are these really opposites—or simply expressions shaped by context?
In doing this, you’ll begin to see that freedom isn’t about being more positive. It’s about being more aligned.
And when you are, you won’t need to think positively.
You’ll simply think clearly, calmly, and truly.
Written by our professor Mike George.
