# Yoga/Positive Thinking

Positive thinking can be defined by the goal of health and happiness. It concentrates at positive qualities such as inner peace, strength, love, joy and happiness. In this direction research the positive psychology.
Positive thinking and meditation are a path to enlightenment. However, positive thinking is a term that can be filled with different contents. Some people misunderstand it as a way of manipulation, repression of feelings and problems. Dogmatically practiced positive thinking can be the enemy of free thought. Properly practiced positive thinking leads to inner happiness, peace, health and good interpersonal relations. Positive thinking must be based on the principles of wisdom, love, strength, peace and happiness. Helpful positive thoughts often arise from the careful and free thinking about a problem. Buddha was a master of positive thinking. He called it right thinking. His thinking had a clear goal: awakening, enlightenment, peace, love, happiness.
Positive thinking is a mental technique, that must practiced wisely. It should not be misused to repress feelings or problems. Positive thinking must used sensitively and healingly. According to the Buddhist master Tsongkhapa enlightenment is created by the wise combination of positive thinking and meditation. The combination of mind work and meditation is the basis of the eightfold buddhist path and the eightfold yoga path (Patanjali).
Wikipedia: Optimism is a mental attitude that interprets situations and events as being best (optimized). A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass with water at the halfway point, where the optimist is said to see the glass as half full, but the pessimist sees the glass as half empty. Optimism may be linked to health. Optimists have been shown to live healthier lifestyles which may influence disease. For example, optimists smoke less, are more physically active, consume more fruit, vegetables and whole-grain bread, and consume more moderate amounts of alcohol.
The relationship between optimism and health has also been studied with regards to physical symptoms, coping strategies and negative affect for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and fibromyalgia. A meta-analysis has confirmed the assumption that optimism is related to psychological well-being: “Put simply, optimists emerge from difficult circumstances with less distress than do pessimists. (...) Optimists seem intent on facing problems head-on, taking active and constructive steps to solve their problems; pessimists are more likely to abandon their effort to attain their goals.”

## How to practice positive thinking?

Those who think positively, get more out of life. They live happier. They live healthier. They have better relationships with other people. They don’t take life too seriously. They live like winners and win as they go through life. Sad and gray was yesterday. Today, optimism is in demand and on the rise.
Starwoman: My way of positive thinking is this mental mantra: “hold your head up high, don’t let anything get you down.”
Jenny: There’s good to be found in everything. You just have to learn to recognize it.
Man: Don’t take everything too seriously. The sunshine comes out after the rain. There is a positive aspect to everything.
Monika: Stop any worthless thoughts. Tell yourself: ”Stop! That’s not how it goes!” if worthless thoughts run through your mind. Replace negative thoughts with new and encouraging thoughts. Positive mantras such as “I can do it.” Repeat these self-encouragement mantras several times daily. Think out a nice, positive thought that feels good for you! Then sit down for five minutes and think this thought for the entire time. Feel the good feelings in you. If you stray from the good thought, then just let it happen and bring yourself back to the positive thought gently. With practice, positive thinking gets easier.
Helga: After the death of my husband, I did autogen training for 1 year on a regular basis. Since that time, I’ve managed to think positively. That wasn’t always the case with me. With positive thinking, life is easier and it’s easier to find reasons to be glad.
David: One should be able to rest and find calm within the self. Listen to yourself and don’t allow yourself to be influenced by the negativity of others.
Rick: Meditate and concentrate on Buddha or another positive role model.
Sabrina: You can write down 10 nice things every evening. At first it’s difficult but after awhile it will get easier to think of things that went well during the day or that were pleasant. That way, you’ll also get better at seeing the small things that are positive and as a result you’ll be able to think more positive, too.

## Mathilde: My methods:

Everything is in God’s hands.
God loves me and I don’t need to have fear.
Whatever I can’t change, I accept.
Don’t let people aggravate you.
Religion and the Bible have always helped me. They’ve accompanied me through my life and influenced my life.
A master is yet to fall from the sky.
Mistakes are there for us to learn from.
God doesn’t burden people with more than they can handle.
I’ve always tried to live my life in a way that makes me happy. I’ve tried to be harmony with myself and to live from my inner guidance. I have experience a lot of negative things. Somehow I’m a rugged person who always gets back up when knocked down with a strong will to survive.

## Get Positive in Five Minutes

In every life there is pain, loss, illness, loneliness and death. We have no claim to a long life still to be spared by fate. What is your pain today?
1. The Problem: Describe briefly your situation and your problem. How exactly is your situation? What is the problem? Where is the center of the problem?
2. The Emotions: What are the feelings it in you? Fear, anger, addiction / desire, grief. What feeling is strongest? Where is the feeling sitting in your body?
3. The Thoughts: What thoughts are connected with your feelings? Why are you sad, anxious, angry or longing? Count all your stressful thoughts down. (My thoughts are ...)
4. Thinking: What triggers your problem? What is the way out of your problem? What brings you to love, success, fulfillment, satisfaction? Think about your problem for so long, until you find a solution. Think about different solutions. Collect all the information you need.
5. Implementation: Follow your positive thoughts. Fulfil your positive life plan. Avoid meaningless brooding. Now is the time to realize powerful. Go your way to victory. "My positive motto is ...."

## Tips for happiness from Anselm Grün (Benedictine monk)

1. Accept your limitations!
2. Don’t take yourself too seriously!
3. Look over your thinking!
We should look at what we think and see if our thoughts are actually damaging. Do our thoughts really reflect reality, or is it a false reality? If I see my job as negative, I will also experience it as negative.
4. Learn to simply be!
Learn to live intensively. Try to go slower more consciously when you want to walk around at work. Take each step consciously when going for walks. Feel how you touch the earth and then step away from it.
5. Learn to wait!
Waiting causes consciousness of the moment we live in, and to the people with whom we are speaking with at a given moment. Waiting makes the heart big and open.
6. Dare to try something new! Show courage!
We live in a world and in a society that doesn’t take much consideration for weakness. Of course, one tries to work without errors. But at work, we also see that those who don’t want to make mistakes never try something new.
7. Open your heart!
To really speak means to break open the heart and to open it for others, to allow them to enter your own heart. Speak so that the relationship grows and trust is created.
8. Enjoy- it is later than you think!!
People don’t know how long life will last. They should enjoy every second.
9. Don’t repress or hide anything from yourself!
Those who do not pay attention to their wounds will be ruled by them. They live a lie. They think that they have their own lives, but they simply repeat the errors from their childhood.
10. Go your own way!
You have to find your own personal way. It is not enough to follow others. You have to listen to your inner voice to find your way. And then you need to bravely decide to take that path, even if you feel lonesome doing it.

## The 10 pillars of Yoga

Patanjali is the father of Indian Yoga. He lived in the second century before Christ. In the Yoga Sutra he summarized the essence of Yogic knowledge with just a few words. The two main tenets of Patanjali say “Yoga is the calming of the spirit. Then the Yogi rests in the light.” The more you live in a state of calm, the greater the inner happiness and the more all-encompassing the light. Patanjali said that inner happiness takes a long time to develop and only can be reached through consistent practice. The calming of the thoughts can be achieved using the two step path. The first step is the development of positive characteristics (the 10 pillars of Yoga). The second step is meditation. Simply spoken, Patanjali’s way of practice is also the way of positive thinking and meditation.
1. Non-violence (Ahimsa)= Never injure another being. Be peaceful and gentle.
2. Truthfulness. (Satya)= Live in the truth. Be honest with yourself and others. Be consistent in your personal truth and live from that as your center. A lie is only allowed in especially well-founded circumstances, for example, if you can save someone’s life with a lie. A Yogi is silent, when in doubt.
3. Integrity (Asteya)=Don’t steal and don’t deceive. A Yogi is honest in his or her professional life. A Yogi doesn’t strive for an unjustified advantage over others, but rather for a fair balance, a fair trade. A Yogi can be trusted in his or her professional life. He or she gives too much rather than too little. Those who are fair do not create bad karma.
4. Wisdom (Brahmacharia) = To live spiritually, to live in wisdom. To differentiate between the essential and the non-essential. A Yogi doesn’t use up his or her energy in worldly doings, rather lives calmly and peacefully so that the self is turned inward and so that the body cleanses itself from the inside. One day, then the Yogi is able to receive God energy and let it flow within the self and to give this energy to others through good deeds from a place of love. In that way, the Yogi grows eternally in his or her inner happiness, energy and love.
5. Simplicity(Aparigraha)= Moderation on external enjoyment. A spiritual person lives modestly on the outside and rich on the inside. He or she does not strive toward riches (carrier, maximum consumption). Yogis make sure they have what they need and concentrate otherwise on spiritual exercises (Yoga, meditation, thought work)and the well-being of fellow beings.
6. Honoring of the spiritual goal (Ishvara-Pranidhana) = So that we don’t lose our way along the spiritual path, it is necessary to constantly focus on our spiritual goal. We can honor an image, a statue or speak a mantra. The four most important role models in Yoga are Vishnu (love), Shiva (strength), Brahma (living in peace and calm)and Ganesha (joy).
7. Ego sacrifice (Shaucha)= Cleansing. The way to light leads to the crucifiction. The ten ego characteristics are pride, envy, the desire to possess, longing, addiction to enjoyment, fear, rage, sadness, laziness, foolishness. What is your negative characteristic today? Which positive thoughts help you to overcome them?
8. Goal striving (Tapas)= A clear decision, a clear plan for life and a consistent path. Tapas means living a disciplined life. Those who have a good plan and enough perseverance are victorious along the spiritual path. What is your decisive plan for spiritual action today? Ask an enlightened master for guidance and help, follow your inner wisdom and you will be victorious on the spiritual path.
9. Reading (Svadhyaya) =The daily reading meditation keeps us on the spiritual path, cleanses our spirit, connects us with the enlightened masters and makes us into spiritual victors. Those who do not involve themselves with spirituality daily lose their inner happiness to the age of consumption. What is your spiritual text for today?
10. Satisfaction (Santosha)= Reach great satisfaction with yourself and life. Which thoughts help you to come to a satisfied state? “My thoughts of satisfaction today are…”

## Yoga with Positive Thinking

Yoga with positive thinking is very helpful for many people. It allows one to quickly overcome negative tendencies and reach a happy and healthy life. Positive thinking and daily meditation are the two basic techniques of enlightenment. All the negative characteristics are ultimately based on attachment (to external pleasures, other people, to his ego) or rejection (of suffering situations, pain). If we accept the suffering in our lifes and let go of our worldly desires and longings, the tensions in our minds resolve. Our inner happiness creates a positiv feeling of life. We get into a life in the light (in a paradise view of life). The main way to overcome the negative qualities is to focus on the positive qualities of wisdom, self-discipline, peace, love and happiness.
1. Go = Jog on the spot, with your arms moving by your side. Visualize light, turn around and think, "I go the positive way."
2. Windmill = Straddle your legs apart, bow forward, turn like a windmill into the spinal column and think: "My goal is ...".
3. Frog = Bring your feet together. Bow your upper body forward. Push yourself up with your hands on the floor and move your buttocks down in a crouch and back up in the air. The head goes up to the sky and down to the earth. Practice the frog several times and think: "I have strength and endurance."
4. Arm-leg raising = Lie down on your stomach. Raise your left arm and right leg. Bring both back to the earth and lift the right arm and the left leg. Do this several times. Think, "I take things the way they are."
5. Upper body raising = Lie in the prone position, with your hands on the floor and repeatedly press the upper body up and down. The head goes to the neck and forward. While breathing in and out, think, "I let go of my false desires."
6. Pelvic rotation = In the prone position, turn your pelvis to the right and then to the left. Your head must lie on your hands. Think, "I am sad because ...".
7. Feet = Get your feet moving in the prone position. The head lies relaxed on your hands. Think, "I forgive... (my partner / parents / the cosmos / God), that he/she...". Whom do you want to forgive today? Think these words until a feeling of sadness arises in you, of letting go and forgiveness.
8. Cycling = Turn on your back, lift your head and move your arms and legs. Think, "My positive thought today is....".
9. Candle = Stretch your legs to the sky. Your hands support you at the back. Visualize the sky, move your feet and think many times the mantra "Optimism".
10. Meditation = Roll from the candle into your meditation seat (cross-legged or heel seat). Put your hands in your lap. The back is straight and the stomach is relaxed. Move one hand and wrap them and think, "I send light to ... May all people be happy. May the world be happy." Stop all your thoughts for a minute. Relax.

## Your magic word

There is in all people a thought which hinders the enlightenment and the inner happiness. This thought mostly has something to do with unwisdom, immodesty and lack of love to all. We need either wisdom, humility, resting, self-discipline, some fun or universal love. We need a special thought which awakens the lacking quality. Suddenly the happiness, the love, the light and the peace is in us. The right word in the right moment for the right person causes a breakthrough to inner happiness. What is now your magic word?
1. Shower = We visualize a shower above us. We turn on the shower and clean us with enlightenment energy. We think the mantra "Water" and massage water (or light energy) from head to toe in our body. We rub all tensions and stress from the body.
2. Earthing = We rub the earth with our feet. We draw a circle with a color of healing around us. We think the name of our healing color several times as a mantra. What is your healing color (purple, orange, yellow, red)?
3. Friend = We go in the shower on the spot. We move our feet. We visualize a boyfriend or a girlfriend and say a positive word. What is your positive word? Imagine that the word actually reaches your person. Think your word several times as a mantra: "My word for... is... (I love you.)"
4. Enemy = We remember an enemy (aggressive person). Whom do you feel in this moment as an enemy? Who is your opponent? Give him a positive word. What do you say to him? Forgive him and get inner peace. Move a hand and send him wisdom and love. Think your word so long as a mantra, until you are in peace with your enemy.
5. A word for you = Investigate your own mind. Is there a thought that blocks your inner peace, your happiness and your love? Which positive word can overcome it? What makes you feel good? What brings you to peace and happiness? Do it!

## Loving goodness meditation

1. Develop feelings of friendliness and good intentions for yourself. Remind yourself of a moment where you were happy and felt good. Think: “May I be friendly to myself. May I feel good. May I be happy.” What is your way to make yourself feel good and be happy?
2. Imagine a person you like. Wish him happiness and think: “may he feel good and be happy.”
3. Think of some people whom you are neutral to (people on the street, in the supermarket, in your city). Wish them happiness, love, wisdom and peace. Move a hand in a blessing, send light and think: “may everyone in the world be happy. May the world be a happy one.”
4. Think of someone you don’t like or that you find difficult. Wish them love, peace, happiness and wisdom, too. Send them light, move a hand in a blessing and think: “may even this person be happy. May the world be a happy place.”
5. Imagine all of these people (yourself, your friend, your enemy and the neutral people.) Move your hand in a blessing, send light to everyone and think: “I send light to everyone. May everyone be happy. May the world be a happy place.”
6. Relax. Let the meditation work on you. Think it over. See yourself as mother and father to every being on earth. Every being is your child, including the good and the bad. Wish them all love, happiness and peace. Do what you can toward that end.

## Passion Test (from Janet and Chris Attwood)

Make a list of the ten most important things that a life full of joy, passion and fulfillment would bring. Begin each sentence with the words: “In my ideal life…”, choose the ten things that are most important to you. How do you want to reach your goals? “My way to victory is…”
Go your way. Live in the essence. Proceed with wisdom, love and infinite perseverance. You WILL have success in your life. Your life will be a success. Those who connect wisdom with optimism are winners.

## Happiness Research

The most important results of today’s happiness research can be summarized in 10 points.
1. People are happy when they‘re busy
People are happy when they have positive goals and positive tasks. Active people are 15% more happy with their lives than those who are more passive. Happiness researcher Ed Diener explained: “happy people set goals again and again.”
2. Exercise makes you happy
Regular exercise keeps the body healthy and makes the spirit happy. Daily walks increase happiness by 12%. David Niven confirms: “People who stay fit with exercise are healthier, more positive and more successful.”
3. Doing good for others makes you happy
Those who do good things for others on a regular basis are 24% happier than those who only live for themselves. John A. Schindler wrote: “be a giving person. Those who give are happier than those who take. Those who give to the world and all beings discover the beauty of the world.”
4. Rest makes happy
In addition to spending time working, exercising and being around others, we should take time to rest and recover every day. We need to get enough sleep. Scientific research shows that relaxed people think more positively and are happier. Every hour of missed sleep affects how positive one’s attitude is the next day by 8%.
5. Positive thinking makes happy
Those who think positively double their chances of happiness. Those who want to be happy should work on thinking positively every day. They should facilitate wisdom, love, peace, inner strength and joy and put them at the center of their existence and work on those characteristics daily. For example, a positive attitude for the day can consist of: “how are things looking today? How can I get through the day positively? What will make me a winner today?”
6. Too much TV makes you unhappy
Scientific research has found: “Every hour of TV decreases happiness in life by 5%.” TV causes people to focus more on material happiness. It awakens wishes and aggression. It creates fear. Those who want to grow in inner happiness should get rid of the TV or learn to have a positive way of dealing with it.
The way of positive TV watching consists of three steps: a) choose your television programs consciously. Avoid negative films. B) Find the right amount of TV. Children should watch a maximum of one hour of TV every day. C) Do some spiritual exercises after each TV watching session (to center oneself on the spiritual path).
7. Put time and energy into friendships
Find a positive circle of friends. Women who meet and converse with other women feel their worries decrease by 55%. Cancer inflicted women who meet in a group weekly survive twice as often as women who don’t meet in such a group. In the western world, there is a strong tendency to isolation. There are a lot of singles and lonely, old people. People with a good circle of friends are happy. Overcome the isolation. Let’s dedicate time and energy to friendships.
8. Facilitate joy in life
Those who incorporate little elements of joy into their lives increase their general happiness in life by 20%. Once, Nils felt bad. In order to find balance, he ate a lot of sweets. His spirit felt lighter and lighter. Unfortunately, after a while his stomach felt a bit uneasy. Despite this, his mind was still totally happy. Nils imagined the sweets in his belly and awakened his kundalini energy. A strong happiness energy awoke, which brought him to the light quickly. Nils learnt how to connect enjoyment with spiritual exercises. You don’t need to eat too many sweets. Just enjoying something nice is enough for the path of inner happiness.
9. Humor
People with a sense of humor are 33% happier. We should facilitate and encourage humor in our lives. We shouldn’t take things too seriously. We should learn how to laugh about ourselves. Those who can laugh about themselves go more lightly through life. It’s good to watch cheerful and funny movies, humorous books and to visit with happy people.
10. Self-Confidence and trust
Happy people believe in themselves. They believe in their goals, their wisdom and their strength. They see themselves as winners. They believe that they will be successful in life. May we all be winners along the spiritual path. May we have faith in ourselves, our positive goals and our inner strength.

## Happiness through positive thinking

Sonja Lyubomirsky is among the best known American happiness researchers. She is a professor at the University of California and wrote the worldwide bestseller “Be Happy” (2008). Her specialty is the level of happiness. She brought the debate surrounding the level of happiness to modern happiness research.
Sonja was annoyed that newer research results seem to indicate that a person’s level of happiness remains the same. The danger with such research is that it strengthens people’s tendency to falling back on the comfortably familiar (even if this causes people to be stuck on a lower level) : “my level of happiness is genetic and is dependent on outer circumstances. I can’t do anything to be happier. Everything is pointless.”
Sonja wondered what she could do if she wants to have a happy life. She accepted that today’s research has the position that 50% of a person’s level of happiness is genetic (determined by the body and hormone production). Some 10% of a person’s level of happiness is determined by outer circumstances. 40% of a person’s level of happiness can be influenced by working on one’s thoughts.
If only 10% of a person’s general happiness is determined by outer circumstances then it isn’t usually important to change one’s circumstances in life. It is relatively unimportant for one’s personal happiness whether one has a better job, better partner, better children or a better apartment. We can only change our level of happiness by 10% by changing some circumstances of our lives.
We should concentrate on the 40% that can be changed. Sonja is very radical. “Let your outer circumstances stay the way they are. Work on yourself instead. Exercise positive thoughts and positive behaviors. That is the way to be happy over the long run.”
Sonja even has a word of warning regarding this too: “Don’t think that it’s easy to raise your level of happiness. It requires decisiveness and constant effort throughout one’s life. Without goal-orientedness, perseverance, effort and daily motivation it won’t work. You have to practice happiness exercises every day.”
A lot of time and effort is necessary. The most important component is to establish positive habits in life. We have to get used to stopping our negative thoughts and countering them with positive thoughts. We begin each day with a positive resolution. We forgive others for their errors and turn our perspective to the positive in life with gratitude.
We should organize a system of social support. Most people need a group or a friend, partner or spiritual teacher to support them in order to raise their level of happiness. Only a few people have the necessary self-discipline required to do happiness raising exercises an entire life long. The results of research in the area of self- help show that only 24% of all people stay more than a half a year on the path of a positive life alone. 95% stick to it with the help of others.
Those who would like to increase their overall level of happiness should avoid excessive stress in their lives. Outer circumstances only play a small role regarding inner happiness. An exception to that is stress. Too much stress has a negative influence on the overall happiness of a person.
In particular, this point shows how incorrect the west is in terms of priorities. High stress is the main characteristic in today’s schools and in today’s professions. This stress is transferred to people’s relationships, destroys physical health and reduces happiness. We should work to reduce stress in each of our lives as much as possible.
Sonja recommends regular exercise, a healthy diet, and to meditate every day for 20 minutes. It’s enough to start with five minutes and then to slowly increase to twenty minutes. What could be easier than doing Yoga for a few minutes or meditating every day for a few minutes to systematically reduce stress?

## Techniques of thought exercise

The main technique of thought work is contemplation. Think about yourself, your life or your situation. Solve your problem and then calm yourself. If you can’t find a solution then take things as they are. Life doesn’t need to be perfect. An enlightened person is happy in an imperfect world. Accepting things in an imperfect world can be a way to enlightenment.
Find your way of wisdom. Consider what is right at that given moment. Is it correct to take action or to take no action? What needs to be done? Do it. Don’t think too much about it. Be present and in a state of calm.
If you can’t solve a problem at the given moment, then let go of it. Take some time each day to think about that problem. With time, you’ll find a solution.
Most of the time we can find a thought that brings us to inner calm and peace during the course of contemplation. If no such thoughts come to us, then we have to probe our inner being thoroughly. Which feelings are present in you? Anger, grief, fear, addiction or longing? What is the strongest feeling? Which problem is connected with it? Which thoughts appear when you feel out your emotions? Feelings of fear, rage, sadness and addiction can be dissolved if you can find the negative thoughts that dissolve the feeling. Which positive thoughts help to dissolve the negative thoughts? We have to be very creative with this sometimes. Which thoughts are strong enough to overpower the negative thoughts? What do we believe in the depths of the soul? It’s good to develop strong pillars of faith. They help us in emergencies and help to overcome negative thoughts.
Most of the time, thorough contemplation or personal pillars of faith help us to find inner peace. The negative feelings and thoughts often come from the depths of the consciousness. Our subconscious is like a small child. We have to be careful when dealing with the small child. We have to convince it and take good care of it. Then a positive psyche can develop.
Which thoughts does the small child in us react to? When do the negative thoughts dissolve? Does the inner child need love, happiness, wisdom or strength? Find a way to give that to him. Do something good for yourself. Concentrate on your wisdom. Take the path of all-encompassing love. Send all beings light and do a good deed. If your inner child needs strength, go your way with discipline. Exercise, do your spiritual exercises, work on yourself and strength and peace will appear.
If these techniques don’t help, then exercise thought control. Stop all of your negative thoughts. Meditate, think a mantra, or distract yourself by reading or watching videos. Often it’s good to talk to other people. Half the problem disappears when you can talk about it with a good friend. If you don’t have any good friends, then connect with God or your spiritual master. Tell them about your problems. Take an oracle card (Buddha oracle, tarot) and you will get an answer that helps you.
Negative thoughts can be stopped with a mantra. Find your personal mantra. Think “stop” or another mantra (a motto of wisdom) until the negative thoughts totally disappear. Repeat the mantra during crisis situations. At some point you will have overcome your negative thoughts. Feelings like happiness, love and peace will appear in their place.
Visualization exercises are a big help. Do a fantasy journey. Imagine what the solution to your problem looks like. Visualize yourself in a happy life. Let burdening situations play out in your mind’s eye. Find a positive thought that helps you.
Orient your perspective around positive intentions and a positive future. Go with positive intentions throughout the day. What gives you strength to get through your day positively? What gives you hope and confidence in your life? Begin each day with a positive intention. In the evening, consider whether you put your positive intentions into practice. What could you do better the next day? Develop a plan for a positive life. Put into practice with consistency. That’s how winners live. What is your goal? What is your way to win?
Reward yourself whenever you have managed to put your positive resolutions into practice. Your inner child loves rewards. This way you can motivate yourself to stay positive along your way. It doesn’t need to be a big reward. Sometimes a cookie or a beautiful flower is enough. Sometimes one needs big visions in order to maintain the strength for a positive life. Such a positive vision could be enlightenment, the life in lasting joy and happiness and peace. Such a vision could also be the goal for a happy world. Find your way of happiness and love and spread those characteristics throughout the world. Then you will make yourself happy and overcome negative thoughts.

### The Three Steps

Psychic well-being appears through the dissolving of tension in the body and the mind. If a person is relaxed on the inside, then happiness develops on its own. There are three steps to inner happiness.
1. Positive Thinking
Think about your problem and find an inner and outer solution. What is your problem? What would solve your problem? What is your path of wisdom?
Find a positive thought that you can use to overcome negative thoughts. What is your negative feeling (rage, fear, grief, addiction or longing)? What negative thoughts are connected to that? What positive thoughts help you? Positive thoughts come from wisdom, love, letting go, acceptance, joy and strength (self-discipline). Develop a positive resolution and think out a mantra. Repeat it again and again. Stop your negative thoughts this way :”my way of wisdom is… my way of love is… My false wishes are… I accept… What can I do good today? What makes me happy? Proceed with happiness.”
Thought stop. If a negative thought surfaces which destroys your happiness, call out ”stop!”. Observe your thoughts. Be aware of your thinking and your behavior. The constant observation will reduce negative thoughts all on its own. Meditate, work out or og for a walk if negative thoughts start to bother you. Come to a state of calm. Read a book. Talk to positive people.
Live positively. Plan your life positively. Then you will come to a state of calm and be happy.
2. Process your feelings
Feel your emotions. Understand your emotions. Recognize the source of your thoughts.
Don’t suppress your feelings. Be sad when you feel sad. Be angry without hurting others. Go for a walk. Meditate on your rage.
Learn to peacefully deal with the aggression of other people. Don’t identify with it. Forgive. Find positive thoughts.
See your fears for what they are. Feel the center of your fear. Then you can find a way to overcome it.
3. Physical Exercises
- Dissolve your inner tension and conflict with exercise (Yoga, walking, jogging).
- Meditate regularly.
- Practice a calm and relaxed lifestyle.
- Avoid stress to the extent that it is possible.
- Think like a Buddha. Act like a Buddha. Live like a Buddha. Be a Buddha. Concentrate on making other people happy and forget your own worries.

## Thoughts and feelings

Most people believe that they can’t think any differently in a given situation. They think their way of thinking depends on the outer situation. They don’t understand that each person has a choice between various thoughts in each situation.
Each person can think thoughts that lead to positive feelings, to health and to well-being. Each person can think thoughts that make him or her unhappy, that lead to suffering and that harm other people. What he or she thinks depends less on the outer situation and more on the inner habits related to thinking. These habits form over a person’s life and form his or her character.
How a person’s thinking can differ within the context of a similar situation can be reflected in the following example. Imagine that a young couple is sitting in a train kissing. In the same section of the train, five old ladies are seated. The first one thinks :”That’s unbelievable.” The second thinks: “I’d also like to be loved.” The third fears: “Hopefully a conductor doesn’t come to chase them away.” The fourth thinks : “two people are kissing.” And the fifth is of the opinion: “Oh how nice, there are people who love each other.”
Now let’s take a look at the emotions that the old ladies have because of their thoughts. The first is angry, the second sad, the third afraid, the fourth neutral, and the fifth is happy. The first three women are full of tension, the fourth is relaxed, and the fifth feels good.
We can see that the same occurrence causes varied reactions and feelings. In extreme cases, one of the first three women could become so upset that bodily symptoms like stomachache or difficulty breathing or heart attack could appear.
This example is useful in explaining what positive thinking actually is. Positive thinking is thinking which doesn’t result in inner tension. It doesn’t hinder health, instead it facilitates inner well-being. Positive thinking can also be neutral thinking. It is important to make use of this in difficult situations. We first accept the situation and then consider what we can do in order to constructively find a solution to improve the situation.
An often heard preconception against positive thinking is that positive reality doesn’t fully take in reality. Unpleasant realities are suppressed. The above example makes it obvious that the five women observed reality. They simply interpreted it differently. If one of the ladies looked away, only then would she be blind to reality. Sometimes such things can be helpful, but sometimes not. It’s not very helpful when it hinders one’s ability to take action. We don’t always need to expose ourselves to negative thought patterns. We’ve gotten to know the way to influence feelings through the thoughts. Bodily tension (energy blockages) and feelings can influence the thoughts. If someone is very tense, they tend toward negative thoughts. If someone is very sad, they find it difficult to see the beauty in the world. Maybe you’ve seen that you see life more positively when you can relax and go through the day. If you are tense then you can get aggravated about the smallest things.
It’s important to understand the context if you want to take the path of health and happiness (who doesn’t?) Only then is it possible to develop inner well-being and positivity. What needs to be done in order to achieve lasting positive feelings? First of all, one should recognize negative thought patterns in the self and replace them with positive thoughts and habits. Another thing one should do is to work out already present sources of tension systematically with the help of Yoga and meditation.

### Anger and grief

Feelings of rage and sadness appear through negative thoughts that cause conflict within. This tension is resolved through feelings of rage and grieving. With these feelings, our inner tension works itself out. They are actually something positive, because they help to relax us deep inside. We should let ourselves live out these feelings (within reason in the context of socially acceptable means).
At the same time we should try to overcome the negative thoughts that cause these feelings using positive thoughts. Otherwise negative thoughts will create new tension again and again. Our rage and sadness then become reinforced, and we do not want that.
It’s also possible to meditate on the feeling. We put ourselves in a meditate state. The thoughts and feelings come and go as they will. We observe them. We don’t give them any energy. This way, they will quiet on their own after a time. They appear again, and then dissolve. At some point, peace and happiness will appear spontaneously.
Basically we need both techniques of working with the feelings. We need to dissolve negative thoughts using positive thinking and we need the meditative perspective on the feelings. Positive thinking and meditation are ways to relax deep within and enlightenment. Our wisdom tells us which methods are correct at which moment.

### Fear

Fear is based in thoughts. These thoughts can be dissolved using positive thoughts. We have to look at the situation closely in order to dissolve the fear.
If we try to run from the fear, it will just grow larger. If we go through the fear, it will dissolve on its own. Questions such as: “What is really so bad about it? Is my happiness really dependent upon it? What is the worst that could happen? Are these thoughts realistic? Or am I worrying for no reason? Is there a positive side to the situation?”
The more our positive thoughts affect the problem and the more we believe in it, then the more we can overcome our fears. We can try out various positive thoughts and figure out which thoughts help us out of our fear the most effectively. The strongest thoughts arise out of thorough contemplation and an exact observation of the situation.
A good method to overcome fears is to place one’s self in a relaxed state and then to confront one’s self with the fear. We relax in the state of fear until the tension from the fear dissipates or at least decreases. If we repeat the exercise often, then we can overcome our fears.
It helps to have faith. If we believe in ourselves and our own power, then we can overcome every fear. If we believe in God and the enlightened masters, then we take fear out of our future. It is good to read the holy texts from one’s given religion.
Fear can be overcome using inner strength. Exercise, Yoga and meditation help us to build up our inner strength. Our self trust grows and our fears lessen. We concentrate on our fear when going for walks and move them out of our bodies. We thus loosen the inner tension and then make room for peace, strength and positivity to take over within us.
It’s good to have goals in life. If we concentrate on something positive, the negative thoughts and feelings lessen. Some fear can sometimes be a helpful thing. Fear protects us from doing the wrong things. It gives us the strength to master our lives. It helps us to take the path to enlightenment because it is the only way to really be free of suffering. In enlightenment, we raise ourselves above all of the suffering in the world and all of the fears. Peace, love and happiness reign in us instead.

### Aggression from other people

Negative feelings arise when other people are aggressive to us. It is difficult to shield the self from other people’s aggressions.
It is possible if we send back the aggression energy, or redirect it and change it into something positive. The transformation occurs through positive thoughts. You can try to understand why the other person is aggressive and develop understanding for it. You can consider how you can help that person or what you can do in this situation. You can look at the aggressions from a positive point of view with thoughts such as: “Those who are angry with me, show that I am important to them with their anger.”
Another possibility is to step outside the situation and then direct the energy to yourself as a third person in the situation. That way, it doesn’t affect you personally. You simply accept that you made a mistake. You give up the need for perfection. Everyone makes mistakes. You can also direct the aggression to a third object, and together complain about the unpleasant situation (instead of about each other).
You can also tell the other person he or she is right and let them talk. When things have calmed down, you can both go back to being reasonable and calmly solve the problem.

## Psychological learning theory

The psychological learning theory suggests that positive thinking can be learned. An athlete trains for several weeks or months an external behavior. He carries a certain behavior, and after some time he masters it. Thoughts can be understood as the internal behavior of a person. When we consciously practice some time a positive mental behavior, then our mind accustoms to positive thinking. It automatically responds to certain external situations with positive thoughts.
Positive thoughts lead to positive feelings. And positive feelings lead to health and happiness. To train positive thoughts has a great gain. It gives us a happy and healthy life. Especially if we practice also regularly sports (yoga, walking), enough relaxation (enough breaks, enough sleep, daily meditating) and a healty diat (at least an apple a day).
How to learn positive thoughts? The learning method consists of four steps. First, we need a positive thought system that suits us like the philosophy of happiness. The philosophy of happiness teaches to make the happiness to the center of life. The essence of the philosophy of happiness are the five qualities of wisdom, peace, love, strength and joy. These five properties we practice every day.
The second step is systematically to train positive thoughts. The best way is to remember every morning on the five positive qualities. We create a positive plan of the day. We get up with a positive thought. We retain our positive vision during the day. And at night we think about the day and what we can do better the next day. We feel our negative emotions (fear, anger, grief, addiction). What negative thought is associated with it? What positive thought helps us to overcome it? Which thought brings us into a positive attitude towards life? Helpful positive phrases are, "I'm a winner. I reach my goals. Wisdom is to organize my life so that I can live healthy and happy. "
The third step is to observe consistently our thoughts throughout the day, and to stop all negative thoughts. If we recognize a negative thought, we push him away immediately. We consider what positive thought is helpfull right now. We develop a positive thought and set it in place of the negative thought. If we make this at the long term, our negative thoughts are becoming less and our positive thoughts grow more and more. Nils was able to overcome his depression by this technique.
The constant observation of thought is the essence of positive thinking. Often we overcome our negative thoughts already through the constant observation of our mind. We are aware of our negative thoughts and that already deprives them their power. Sometimes we have to intervene forcefully. And just at the beginning of our mental work we should be relatively strict with our thoughts. If our inner children are educated good, we can give them a little more freedom.
The fourth step is the stabilization of positive thinking. It is not easy all day to control our negative thoughts. We need strong helpers to keep us on our long-term path of inner happiness. Such helpers are the daily spiritual reading in a book, the daily oracle reading, the daily meditation, walking and a group of positive thinking people. Very good it is to distribute some caregivers throughout the day. We create our system of daily happiness exercises. We're putting so many exercises for us in right intervals in the day that we keep ourselves constantly on the path of the positive. We stay with perseverance on our way of wisdom and happiness. If we fall off the path once, we stand up again next day. In particularly difficult situations helps the constant change of lying (hearing meditation music), reading (praying, chanting), sports (yoga, walking) and work (doing good to others). We are practicing it for so long until our negative emotions have calmed down und we are positive again.

## Daily sayings

The stone of the wise looks astoundingly similar to the stone of the fools. Joachim Ringelnatz
A friendly word can warm up three winter months.
God has given you a face. It is up to you to smile.
It is better to light a tiny candle than to curse the darkness. Confucius
Today’s Happiness Tea Saying= Do what brings you fulfillment.
Your way begins there where you stop following others.
Greatness isn’t being this or that, rather it is to be one’s self. Søren Kierkegaard
Have the courage to serve your own understanding. Immanuel Kant
What a man thinks of himself decides his fate. Mark Twain
The wise live in inner fulfillment and not in outer appearances. Laotse
Those who do not know the word “enough” will never have enough. Epicurus
When the thoughts come to a state of calm, the Yogi rests in the light. Patanjali (Yoga-Sutra)
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God. Jesus (sermon on the moun)
Everywhere Krishna, the lord of Yoga is, there you find victory, wisdom and happiness. Krishna (Bhagavad Gita)
A friend is someone who hums the melody when you have forgotten your own song!
I don’t have friends. I have a selection of crazy people.
If you have just the right amount of food and drink, you will live to an old age and seldom be sick.
Everyone has dumb thoughts, but the wise keep them to themselves. Wilhelm Busch
A clever man never contradicts a woman. He waits until she does it herself. (Humphrey Bogarth)
The world could be so much better if I could just be cloned! (Lucy/Peanuts)
Through diet and exercise the greater portion of all disturbances may be equalized and overcome, if the right mental attitude is kept.(Edgar Cayce)
Nice days, not crying when they are gone. Rather smiling that they once were. Rabindranath Tagore
Wait out bad luck. Often what seems bad at the moment will reveal itself as a great blessing in the end. Euripides
Those who do not contemplate the morning will have worry before the day is through. Confucius
Perseverance is the talisman of life.
Think of your goals. They decide where you will arrive one day.
Only those who dare can win.
Life is too short to be taken seriously!! Oscar Wilde
Intelligence is following me, but I am faster.
You are correct, but I still prefer my own opinion.
I am not perfect. I am not working to change that either.
When God created me, he wanted to brag.
A halo? I already had one. It didn’t look good on me.
There are sheep and there are wolves. And you are a fish. What now? Be a fish!!
Dear God, give me patience!! But right now!!
As an uninvolved party, what do you say to the topic of intelligence?
A life without chocolate? Possible. But pointless.
Make sure everyone you meet is happier after they have met you. Mother Teresa
"You only need a little to live a happy life.” Marc Aurel
Monika Minder Say thank you for the wonderful time, so much love, so much life, and for all that remains.Monika Minder
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" Thukydides
"I have decided to be happy because it is good for my health" Voltaire
"To love one’s self is the beginning of a lifelong romance." Oscar Wilde
" One day it will have to be admitted officially that what has been called reality, is a greater illusion than the world of dreams " Salvador Dali "A day without laughter is a lost day " Charlie Chaplin
"The more you give, the more treasures you will find.." Anais Nin
"Everything viewed with the eyes of love is beautiful." Christian Morgenstern
" Many people miss out on the little happiness because they are waiting for the big happiness in vain ." Pearl S. Buck
"Be yourself. All of the other options have been taken.." Oscar Wilde
„ Joy, my friends is the medicine of life! I am happy when I hear something good from another person, or when my dog wags his tail, or a cat is purring in the corner.” Ernest Hemingway
" If you don’t have the urge to do something, do nothing.” Samarpan
" The hands in the sand, the feet in the sea, the face turned toward the sun, freedom from the day’s stress. Be happy simply. " Arnica Montana
""The most beautiful harmony occurs through the uniting of opposites." Heraklit
" Life is a white leaf, the colors are in you. Color it bright, radiant and beautiful" Jochen Mariss
„The earth could become a paradise. Everything is possible.” Erich Kästner
"Those who sow thoughts today, harvest the deed tomorrow, the habit the day after, and destiny after that." Gottfried Keller
"Calm is the healthy soul. " Immanuel Kant
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi
"The universe doesn’t follow any firmly established plan. As soon as you make a decision, the universe works with it." Deepak Chopra
„ Serve others, love everyone, live to give, cleanse yourself on the inside, meditate a lot and realize the holiness in you.“ Swami Sivananda
" Do what you love and love what you do. " Beata Korioth
„ Regular Yoga exercises help you to deal with the hectic daily life and counteract its effects.“ B.K.S. Iyengar
"Yoga allows chaotic thoughts to be softened." B.K.S. Iyengar
" If the light of Yoga is lit once, do not burn it out. The more intensive the practice, the more bright the flame will burn. " B.K.S. Iyengar
" Make efforts to only allow positive thoughts. Then miracles will occur within you.” Rabbi Nachman von Bratslav

## See also

* Happiness research
* Philosophy of Happiness
* Everyone needs a spiritual centering
* A World of Peace, Love and Happiness

## External links

* Encyclopedia Britannica learning theory
* How to Be Positive
* How to Be a Bodhisattva (Buddha of Love)
* Positive Thinking Your Key to Success
* The Power of Positive Thinking