Anyways, I love that shirt you’re wearing and it actually gave me an idea for a business. May I know where you got that? Thanks.

We love you!

Thanks for hitting back. We should never apologize for believeing in ourselves. I firmly believe that not only do I invite what I dwell on (good and bad) into my life, I create a fertile environment for it to find me and grow. I teach public school and I remind my students on a regular basis that you can never feel bad enough to change anything–only good enough.

Oh I still trip up and get sucked into the negative sometimes, but I quickly pivot out of it and try to become a magnet for the good. I don’t want to take up your blog space, but click on my blog link and read Vibrational Threshing. I have to do it everyday. Soon it will become a habit.

JS

I think i can answer your last three questions. Constant reading about positive thinking and mental toughness is the reason, you can think critically like that lady did. It become practice and then you become more open minded about positive thinking. I am thinking, this must be real tough way to achieve critical thinking.

Ravin…

Also, many metaphysicians maintain hostility is a personality component of cancer. Just something for Ms. E to think about.

Note to Chia – many people have healed themselves of MS. Check out http://www.annboroch.com She healed herself of MS and gives a detailed protocol to follow.
Love and blessings,
Deb

I just heard about this book and have it on hold at my local library. I have read many of her books, and generally respect her methodology and approach to her subjects. As a fan of yours, Joe, I was interested to see what you wrote.

Thanks for a balanced, thoughtful approach, Joe.

I can recommend a book i read quite awhile ago by Martin Seligman, who opined that positive thinkers DID tend to see reality in a “less objective” way but that it WORKS for them. (I am not doing justice to the book, but that is one of the conclusions I remember from it – it is called Learned Optimism.)

I also recall an interesting piece about positive thinking by Michael Masterson some months back (http://www.earlytorise.com/2008/04/14/why-positive-thinking-doesnt-work.html) which I found enlightening.

Thanks again, Joe, I know your thoughts will help me approach Ms. Ehrenreich’s book in a different way.

Tom

As you mention in this post, Joe, critical thinking is important and there are some “gurus” who seem to be going a little over the top with thoughts and thoughts alone being the answer to everything.

However, I’ve found BRIGHT SIDED to be, frankly, pretty mean-spirited as it uses very selective quoting throughout the book in order to make just about every “guru” she covers look like a kook. It’s a very unfair look into a topic she obviously felt strongly about and she therefore set out to write a book that tried to show how ridiculous any opinion that disagreed with hers on the “positive thinking” movement could possibly be. In other words, she set out to write a book that supported her agenda and feelings on the matter and disregarded or manipulated any evidence that disagrees with that agenda.

It’s too bad because a book like this actually had the opportunity to explore an interesting topic and help separate the kooks or scam artists who seem to just be trying to make a buck (folks like these are in EVERY industry, by the way) from the very hard-working and thoughtful teachers who have made a positive difference in the lives of millions of people.

Thanks for sharing your background. That is inspiring…Also, I agree that positive thinking and critical thinking are not mutually exclusive. Also, there is an appropriate time and place for both. For example, when we are driving our car, we don’t want to be in lala land with our eyes closed visualizing money coming our way (we should apply critical thinking). Similarly, when we are visualizing, we shouldn’t be critically examining all of our problems (we should be applying positive thoughts)…

Peace,
Matt

You so expertly questioned, acted and fostered dialog about this media item.

I hope you can send some love & light to J.A.R. now. He needs it.

na Zdravi!