Positive Thinking - The Key To Thinking Positive

Summary

In this insightful video, Leo from Actualised.org explores the concept of positive thinking through a Zen story about a farmer whose fortunes fluctuate, illustrating that what seems bad luck may turn out to be good. The narrative serves to emphasize the complexity of life's events and encourages viewers to embrace a deeper understanding of luck and adversity. Leo challenges conventional optimism with the idea that every problem is an opportunity, advocating for a positive mindset that can transform challenges into strengths. He concludes with the 'Seven Day Positivity Challenge,' urging viewers to practice positivity for a week to experience its transformative effects on their lives.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses the concept of positive thinking and its deeper implications through a Zen story.
• 🐎 The story involves a farmer whose horse runs away, leading to unexpected outcomes that challenge the villagers' perceptions of luck.
• 🤔 The farmer consistently maintains an open perspective, suggesting that events may turn out to be good or bad, illustrating the unpredictability of life's fortunes.
• 🔄 The horse's return with wild horses and the subsequent injury of the farmer's son are used to emphasize that what initially seems unfortunate can lead to greater good.
• 💡 The core message is that one should not hastily label events as purely good or bad, as the true nature of luck is complex and only revealed over time.
• 🌱 The video encourages viewers to consider that challenges and hardships can be the foundation for personal growth, strength, and success.
• 🌟 It suggests that every problem or challenge is an opportunity in disguise, urging viewers to look for the positive aspects in every situation.
• 🧘‍♂️ The concept of Aikido is introduced as a metaphor for turning problems into opportunities by using the energy of the situation to one's advantage.
• 🤷‍♂️ The video acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining a positive mindset, especially when faced with significant problems, but emphasizes the importance of trying.
• 🌈 The 'Seven Day Positivity Challenge' is introduced as a practical exercise to train the mind to focus on positive thoughts and quickly dismiss negativity.
• 💪 The challenge is presented as a way to prove to oneself the power of positive thinking and its potential to transform one's life for the better.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Leo from Actualised.org?

The main topic of the video is positive thinking and its significance in understanding life's events.

What story does Leo use to illustrate the concept of positive thinking?

Leo uses a Zen story about an old farmer whose horse runs away, bringing back three wild horses, and the farmer's son gets injured while taming them, but this injury saves him from being conscripted for war.

What is the farmer's initial response when his horse runs away, according to the story?

The farmer's initial response is that it might be bad luck, but he also suggests that it could be good luck, emphasizing that one cannot be certain about the nature of luck.

How does the story of the farmer's son's broken leg relate to the concept of positive thinking?

The broken leg initially seems like terrible luck, but it prevents the son from being conscripted for war, illustrating that what seems negative can turn out to be positive in the end.

What does Leo suggest is the deeper philosophy behind positive thinking?

Leo suggests that positive thinking involves understanding that life's events are not simply good or bad, and that challenges can lead to growth, strength, and success.

What does Leo mean by saying that 'every problem is an opportunity'?

Leo means that every challenge or difficulty in life can be a chance for learning, growth, and ultimately, success if approached with a positive mindset.

What is the 'Aikido' approach to problems that Leo mentions in the video?

The 'Aikido' approach refers to using the force of a problem to one's advantage, similar to the martial art of Aikido, where an opponent's energy is used against them.

What exercise does Leo propose to help cultivate positive thinking?

Leo proposes the 'Seven Day Positivity Challenge', where one commits to thinking zero negative thoughts for seven days straight, replacing them with positive ones within 60 seconds of recognizing them.

What is the purpose of the Seven Day Positivity Challenge according to Leo?

The purpose of the challenge is to train one's mind to automatically shift to positive thinking, demonstrating the potential for mastering one's own psychology and improving overall life quality.

What quote from Tony Robbins does Leo share, and how does it relate to positive thinking?

The quote is 'You will be truly cheerful in life the day that you realize that no matter what is happening around you, being anything other than cheerful will not make it any better.' It relates to positive thinking by emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive attitude regardless of circumstances.

How does Leo suggest that positive thinking can impact various aspects of life?

Leo suggests that positive thinking can lead to improvements in work, relationships, family life, financial situation, and health, by fostering a mindset that seeks opportunities and lessons in every situation.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Paradox of Positive Thinking

Leo from Actualised.org introduces a Zen story to illustrate the concept of positive thinking. The story features a farmer whose horse runs away with a new saddle, an event that the villagers consider bad luck. However, the farmer maintains that it might turn out to be good luck, demonstrating a perspective of uncertainty towards life's events. The summary highlights the farmer's unique philosophy and the villagers' confusion, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of positive thinking.

05:00

🐎 The Fortunes of the Farmer's Horse

The story continues with the horse returning, bringing three wild horses with it. The villagers, initially lamenting the farmer's loss, now praise his good fortune. Yet, the farmer maintains his stance that the event could be either good or bad luck. The summary emphasizes the unpredictability of life's outcomes and the farmer's consistent approach to viewing life's events without immediate judgment of their nature.

10:02

🦴 The Accidental Blessing in Disguise

The narrative takes a turn when the farmer's son, while attempting to tame the wild horses, is kicked and breaks his leg. The villagers, again, express their sympathy for what they see as terrible luck. The farmer, however, remains noncommittal, suggesting that even this misfortune could be a blessing. The summary captures the essence of the story's moral: that what appears to be bad luck may, in fact, lead to greater good, as it prevents the son from being conscripted into a war.

15:04

🌱 The Growth from Adversity

Leo discusses the deeper implications of the Zen story, emphasizing that challenges and unfortunate events can be the catalysts for personal growth and success. He encourages viewers to consider the potential positive outcomes that may arise from life's difficulties. The summary underlines the importance of adopting a positive mindset that views problems as opportunities for learning and growth.

20:05

🤼‍♂️ The Art of Aikido in Life's Struggles

Drawing a parallel to the martial art of Aikido, Leo suggests that adopting a positive mindset allows individuals to use life's challenges to their advantage, much like an Aikido practitioner uses an opponent's force against them. The summary explains that by viewing problems as opportunities, one can transform negative situations into positive outcomes, fostering personal development and success.

🌟 The Power of Cheerfulness

Leo shares a quote from Tony Robbins that emphasizes the power of maintaining a cheerful disposition regardless of circumstances. He argues that a positive attitude is the key to achieving the best possible outcomes in life. The summary highlights the importance of cheerfulness in fostering resilience and the potential for a more fulfilling life.

🛠️ The Seven-Day Positivity Challenge

To solidify the concept of positive thinking, Leo introduces the 'Seven-Day Positivity Challenge,' urging viewers to commit to thinking positively for a week. The challenge requires participants to consciously replace negative thoughts with positive ones or distractions within a minute of recognizing them. The summary outlines the challenge's rules and its potential to transform one's mindset and life.

📬 Inviting Feedback and Further Learning

In the conclusion, Leo invites viewers to leave comments and engage with his content, emphasizing the importance of feedback for improvement. He also promotes his newsletter, offering bonuses such as exclusive video series and a chance to win free coaching sessions. The summary encourages viewers to sign up for Leo's newsletter to receive ongoing support in mastering their psychology and creating an extraordinary life.

Keywords

💡Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive outcomes. In the video, it is the central theme, emphasizing the importance of viewing life's events as opportunities for growth rather than purely as good or bad luck. The Zen story illustrates this by showing how the farmer sees the potential for good in every situation, even when his horse runs away and his son breaks his leg.

💡Zen Story

A Zen story is a parable often used in Zen Buddhism to convey spiritual lessons or principles. In the context of the video, the Zen story serves to illustrate the concept of positive thinking by narrating the tale of a farmer whose seemingly unfortunate events turn out to be blessings in disguise, challenging the conventional understanding of luck.

💡Good Luck and Bad Luck

Good luck and bad luck are terms used to describe fortunate and unfortunate events, respectively. The video challenges the conventional dichotomy by suggesting that what seems like bad luck may actually lead to positive outcomes, as demonstrated in the Zen story where the loss of a horse results in gaining more horses and avoiding conscription into war.

💡Opportunity

Opportunity refers to a situation that is favorable for the success or development of a plan or purpose. The video argues that every problem or challenge is an opportunity in disguise, urging viewers to look for the potential benefits or lessons in every adverse situation they face.

💡Challenge

A challenge is a task or situation that requires considerable mental or physical effort to overcome. The video script uses the concept of challenges to highlight that difficulties in life can be the source of strength, growth, and success, contrary to the common belief that they are purely negative.

💡Growth

Growth in the video refers to personal development or improvement, often resulting from overcoming challenges. It is presented as an inevitable outcome of facing difficulties, suggesting that adversity can be a catalyst for personal expansion and learning.

💡Wisdom

Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The video suggests that understanding the deeper meaning of positive thinking and recognizing opportunities within problems requires wisdom, which comes from life experience and contemplation.

💡Aikido

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes using an opponent's energy against them. In the video, it is used metaphorically to describe the process of turning problems into advantages, illustrating the concept of positive thinking where challenges are not merely overcome but utilized for personal gain.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness in this context refers to the awareness of one's thoughts and feelings. The video emphasizes the importance of being conscious during difficult times to recognize and shift from negative to positive thinking, which is key to mastering one's psychology.

💡Seven Day Positivity Challenge

The Seven Day Positivity Challenge is an exercise proposed in the video to train the mind to think positively. It requires participants to avoid negative thoughts for seven consecutive days, dropping any negative thought within 60 seconds of recognizing it. This challenge is meant to demonstrate the potential for changing one's mindset and improving overall life experience.

💡Cheerful

Being cheerful means maintaining a happy and positive disposition, regardless of circumstances. The video quotes Tony Robbins to emphasize that remaining cheerful in all situations is the optimal strategy for life, as it can lead to better outcomes and is a hallmark of positive thinking.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of positive thinking through a Zen story.

A farmer's horse runs away, and the farmer's perspective on whether it's good or bad luck.

The horse returns with three wild horses, illustrating the unpredictability of luck.

The farmer's son breaks his leg, a seemingly unfortunate event with an unexpected outcome.

The son's injury prevents him from being conscripted for war, showing how bad luck can turn into good.

The importance of not hastily labeling events as purely good or bad luck.

The deeper understanding that challenges and unfortunate events can lead to personal growth and success.

The idea that every problem is an opportunity, a core principle of positive thinking.

The need for wisdom and life experience to truly grasp the concept that problems can be opportunities.

The challenge of changing one's mindset from focusing on the negative to finding the positive in every situation.

The concept of Aikido as a metaphor for turning problems into advantages.

The psychological impact of negative thoughts and the importance of consciously addressing them.

Tony Robbins' quote on the importance of cheerfulness in life, regardless of circumstances.

The Seven Day Positivity Challenge as a practical exercise to train one's mind for positive thinking.

The challenge's rules and the significance of eliminating negative thoughts within 60 seconds of recognizing them.

The potential transformative effect of the Seven Day Positivity Challenge on one's life.

Encouragement to sign up for the newsletter to receive further insights on mastering psychology and creating an extraordinary life.

Transcripts

hey this is Leo for actualised org and

in this video we're going to talk about

positive thinking okay so let's talk

about positive thinking I want to

illustrate what I have to say about

positive thinking by telling you a short

story so this is a Zen story from a long

time ago and it goes like this once

there was an old village in this village

there were the villagers and there was

one odd farmer who lived on the

outskirts of the village and he was a

little bit different the way he thought

his philosophy to life was just

something that didn't quite sit well

with the rest of the villagers so one

day this farmer he had a horse and this

horse went off and ran away and that was

just as he went out and bought a new

saddle for the horse so this horse ran

away and it took the saddle with it now

the villagers hearing of this news they

went to the farmers farm they went to

his house and they said we're so sorry

what bad luck you have your horse ran

away and the farmer looked at them and

said maybe it's bad luck but who knows

maybe it's good luck and they looked at

I'm kind of weird and they said well how

could it how could it be good luck your

horse your only horse ran away what are

you gonna do now he said well we don't

know maybe it's good luck maybe it's bad

luck the villagers left his house

scratching their heads

and they went back to their business

a few days later the horse returns to

the farmer and the horse brings with it

three wild horses so now the farmer has

his horse back with the saddle plus

three new horses untamed the villagers

hearing on this news they make their way

to the farmers house and they said wow

what amazing luck you have and the

farmer looked them and said maybe it's

good luck

but maybe it's bad luck who knows the

villagers they looked at them puzzled

how could how could you possibly say

this is bad luck you had one horse then

it ran away now you've got that horse

back plus you got three new ones this is

amazing the farmer looked at them and

said maybe it's good luck but maybe it's

bad luck the villagers left shaking

their heads not sure what to think

then a few days passed and the farmer's

son because he had to tame and train

these new three horses as he was trying

to train one of the horses one of those

wild horses it kicked him and it knocked

him down and he broke his leg over a

rock the rest of the villagers hearing

of this news they they made their way to

the farmers house and they said we're so

sorry what terrible luck you've had the

farmer looks at them and says maybe it's

terrible luck but maybe it's good luck

now this this the

just and this anymore how could you

possibly say this is good luck I mean

your your only son broke his leg surely

this is the worst of luck farmer looks

at them considers their suggestions and

says well maybe it's bad luck but maybe

it's good luck the villagers were just

aghast and they walk away angry and then

a few days later as his son is

recuperating from his broken leg he's

lying on the bed there the country

officials come by through the village

and they're conscripted troops for the

army for the war that's going to be

waged overseas and what they do is they

round up all the able-bodied young men

in the village to go off to die in

battle but they don't take the farmer

son because the farmer son is not able

to walk so that's the story this is an

old Zen story and I have to give credit

to John Kehoe who I got this the story

from and the way that he delivered it it

was really powerful for me because what

this story shows us is that who really

knows I mean who really knows what is

good luck and what is bad luck in our

life the wiser of us we see that it's

not quite so simple that the things that

are unpleasant that happened to us are

necessarily that bad for us and the

things that are pleasant on the surface

are necessarily good for us that's a

very simplistic way to think about life

and in the end you truly can't tell not

until every last card is played out what

is good luck

and what is bad luck and when you start

to really understand this and you start

to take this in a very deep then you

start to understand what it means to be

a positive thinker you can get a lot of

little tricks out there that will help

you to think positively to be more

optimistic but I think if you want to

really cultivate positive thinking

within yourself you have to start to

take on this idea that there's something

deeper going on in life and that it's

not quite so simple to figure out

exactly what it is if you think about

all the really challenging they're

really hard times you've had in your own

life all the really unfortunate times

the ones that we would obviously label

as unfortunate and then you trace back

the ripple effects from that through the

rest of your life and into the present

you trace that back and you take a look

a lot of times what you find is you find

your greatest gifts there you find your

greatest strengths there you have you

find your greatest growth there you find

your biggest lessons in life you find

your biggest successes stemming from

that being born from it so those really

challenging times a lot of times they

are the seeds for our ultimate success

so don't be so quick to dismiss those as

being bad and that is what you're doing

most of the time most of the time when

you're thinking negatively when you're

worrying when you're afraid when you're

really angry or you're feeling hurt I

mean it feels real and it is real I mean

it hurts it gets you mad it gets you

anxious but if you start to become more

of a positive thinker you really start

to buy into this deeper philosophy you

start to realize that that's not

necessary and then in fact a lot of

times you're worrying about the things

that are really good for you

the things that are really going to make

you grow the things that are really

going to make you successful

there's something to this idea that

there can be no problem that is not an

opportunity in your life and I think

this is what the core of positive

thinking is is understanding that every

problem every challenge that you have is

ultimately an opportunity and this is

not just some wishful thinking this has

not said lightly this is something that

takes some study this has takes some

study and some contemplation to

understand it takes wisdom to really

understand this you have to have some

life experience to start to see the

truth of this the depth of it because

there's like a surface level

understanding and then how much deeper

layer of understanding that's why you

have to kind of go back and look at your

own history just try to prove it to

yourself to prove yourself this is true

because right now I tell you this but

you're probably saying yes this sounds

nice and sure it could probably work for

many problems in my life I can see that

somehow I'm catastrophizing them

exaggerating them a lot of times they

don't come true

but you know there's just this one

problem I've got right now I've got this

one problem that's just pure hell it's

pure hell it's pure evil there's no

possible way that this problem I've got

right here there's no possible way that

this could have any opportunity in it

there's no opportunity here there's no

lesson to be learned here

there's nothing pot this is just pure

negative if I could remove it from my

life my life would be happy I would be

better I just know it well that's

exactly what I'm trying to tell you is

that that's not positive thinking and I

mean I understand where you're coming

from a lot of times I get triggered like

that too and I was especially like that

a lot in the past and I'm still a bit

like that today but you can understand

that this is the mode of thinking that

you've been coming from for most of your

life and that that mode of thinking has

gotten you to where you are right now in

your life so that's gotten you to where

you are but that's only gotten you to

where you are and I'm willing to bet

that you can do better than where you

are right now and if you really want to

go to that next level then what you have

to do is you have to start to think

in a different way sometimes if I start

thinking in a radically different way a

way that seems uncomfortable a way that

seems wishful thinking at first a way

that seems unrealistic that seems

idealistic that seems fantastical yet

there is something to this idea that

nothing can happen to you that is not

positive I guarantee you that if you

really look at it if I really sat down

with you and we really looked at that

challenge you have right now that's

totally unsolvable that's ruining your

life if we looked at it we can pick out

I guarantee we can pick out something

positive something you could learn from

it of course this doesn't mean that all

the sudden your problems to be fixed it

doesn't mean that your problem is not a

real problem it doesn't mean that you

shouldn't work to fix your problem it

doesn't mean that you don't feel the

pains of your problem I'm not denying

you any of that but I am saying that

once you adopt this mindset and you

become a positive thinker then you're

going to be able to Aikido a lot of your

problems the art of Aikido it's a it's a

martial art and one of the philosophies

there is that you use the the force of

your opponent as as a vehicle of taking

him down so when an opponent lunges at

you or he tries to do some move at you

what you do is you kind of roll with the

flow you roll with the problem right you

roll with the punch that's coming at you

and you deflect it and you you don't

just stop it or block it or avoid it you

actually use it and you transfer the

momentum from it into something that's

going to serve you so it goes from being

a negative where the punch is coming at

your face to all the sudden within a

split second it turns into a big

positive because now you've got the

opponent and you've taken them and now

you've been able to convert that punch

that he threw at your face you converted

it into some sort of advantage for you

tactical advantage in combat for you now

the opponent is lying on the ground and

you've got them in a in some sort of pin

because you were able to do some move

that Aikido the problem into something

to your advantage that's what true passe

of thinking is and on a practical level

this the supply is very easily to every

problem that you have I want you to

start thinking from now on for every

problem that you've got a little one to

the biggest one

always remember to think what can I get

from this what is going to be the lesson

what am I going to learn how is this

going to grow me how is this going to

lead to my ultimate victory to my

ultimate success and this is going to

take a lot from you because this is

something that's very unnatural

especially if you are prone to anxious

neurotic thinking and you've been doing

that your whole life you've got that

habit built up and it's not going to be

very easy for you to even remember this

it takes consciousness it takes

awareness because those problems you've

got what they do is they trigger you

they trigger a base emotional response

within you and that response it just

comes about or less naturally it's like

a trigger you get a stimulus and then

you get a response a stimulus and then a

response and you're just a stimulus

response animal you're not actually

behaving consciously if you want to

become a positive thinker then you have

to remember what I'm telling you now and

the next time that you have a problem

big or small you have to try to remember

and stay conscious and even though you

are going to feel some of the pain and

the fear and the anxiety and whatever

else I want you to remember what I'm

telling you is say okay even though this

is a problem it feels very real there's

something I can draw from it something

positive I can draw from it and when

you're able to do that that's when you

really develop positive thinking one

quote really powerful quote on this

topic positive thinking that I got from

Tony Robbins really resonated with me

and I want to share with you guys and it

goes like this you will be truly

cheerful in life the day that you

realize that no matter what is happening

around you being anything other than

cheerful will not make it any better

there's something about this that rings

very true very wise

because the all the optimum strategy the

optimum strategy is to be cheerful in

every situation no matter how bad it is

no matter who dies if you remain

cheerful that is that is going to lead

to the best possible outcome you're not

going to gain anything by being scared

you're not going to gain anything by

being angry you're not going to gain

anything by by feeling hurt or sad

that's not to say that any of those

emotions should ever be felt

you'll be able to feel them you're not

gonna be able to stop them anyways but

when you can really live from this place

you can you can just you can almost feel

how different your life is going to be

your life would be very different if you

were always cheerful no matter what was

happening it takes strength and courage

to be able to do this that's why most

people can do it that's why people are

so negative and their performance in

life is so shot is because they're not

cheerful and I guarantee you that the

quality of your life is going to be

directly proportional to how cheerful

you can stay no matter what's happening

around you especially those very

negative times you have to remain

positive you have to remain hopeful you

just have to do it because there's

something positive there for you to

extract that's a reality that's a truth

that's not wishful thinking okay so to

really bring this point home for you

guys what I'm going to give you is I'm

going to give you an exercise this is

something that you can practically do to

really get your positive thinking

muscles trained up this is a really

challenging exercise so if you can do it

successfully I really applaud you and

what is it it's called the seven day

positivity challenge you might have

heard of it the seven day positivity

challenge what does this mean this means

that for seven days you choose when it

starts for seven days you commit to

thinking zero negative thoughts for

seven days straight that means all you

think are positive thoughts now of

course even if you make this intention

negative thoughts will still creep up

that's okay

but as soon as you notice and are aware

of the negative thought as soon as

you're aware of it and you label it you

have to drop it within 60 seconds and

not think about it again and move on to

something else you either start to think

something positive about the situation

or you just change topic entirely and

start thinking about something else or

just distract yourself but you're not

allowed to think about that negative

thought anymore and then when a negative

negative thought comes up a little bit

later in the day again

you recognize it and the Sunnis

recognize it within 60 seconds you drop

it and you think something positive or

you distract yourself with some other

thought and so the idea is that you do

this for seven days straight and you

have to do it perfectly so if a negative

thought comes up and you find yourself

thinking about it and thinking about it

and thinking about it and then you

notice that you are thinking about it

and then another five minutes pass and

you're still thinking about it

another five ends pass and you're still

thinking about it you failed if 60

seconds pass and you're still thinking

about it you failed and you have to

restart the whole challenge from scratch

so this is a really tough challenge I

really encourage you to try this because

it's a lot tougher than it sounds if

you've never tried this when you do try

it you'll realize first of all just how

many negative thoughts you're having it

will shock you you also shock you how

much you dwell on them even though

they're not resourceful at all it will

shock you how many unrest or soldats

you're basically having in your life and

it will also shock you at the potential

that you have the potential you have at

mastering your own psychology because

when you see that wow if I could just

eliminate all these negative thoughts

and I if I could just last for seven

days straight with positive thinking

you're going to see wow like that's

that's a powerful potential change that

I could make to my whole life how would

that impact my work how would that

impact my relationships my family life

my you know my money situation my health

you're going to see it and if you

actually make it through seven days

you're also going to actually prove it

to yourself because those seven days

will probably be some of the best seven

days that you've had in your life

up to now because when you think

positively for seven days straight

Wow you're going to feel it just going

to make you feel awesome you're probably

also going to accomplish a lot of stuff

and you're probably gonna be very

creative in that timeframe so go ahead

and try that out and just say see how

good you can do see how much of a

positive thinker you can be alright this

is Leo I'm gonna be signing off this is

what I have to say about positive

thinking please leave me your comments

here I'm interested what you have to say

I use your feedback to help improve my

videos then like this and share this so

that other people can get the message we

want more positive thinkers in the world

that's always a good thing and then of

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talked about here this is just kind of

yeah this is a little taste a little

taste of what you can actually have in

your life of the kind of improvements

you can make to create an extraordinary

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fulfilled where you're living excited

where you're living happy and peaceful

that's what I want for you guys I want

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