Rethinking Positive Thinking
You are constantly bombarded with advice to "think positively" in your daily lives. From pop music to political speeches to commercials, the message is consistent: be optimistic in the face of adversity, and focus on your dreams. And whether you are trying to lose weight, get a promotion at work, or run a marathon, you're told time and time again that focusing on your desires will make them come true.
Gabriele Oettingen draws on over two decades of research in the science of human motivation to explain why conventional wisdom falls short. The barriers you believe prevent you from fulfilling your deepest desires can actually lead to their fulfillment. Starry-eyed fantasizing isn't all it's cracked up to be, and it turns out that dreamers aren't always doers.
While optimism can help you deal with immediate pain and persevere in difficult times, daydreaming about the future actually makes people more frustrated and unhappy in the long run, making them less likely to achieve their goals. Indeed, the pleasure you derive from positive fantasies allows you to virtually fulfill your wishes, depleting your energy for the hard work of meeting challenges and achieving goals in real life.
Oettingen introduces a new way to visualize the future, called mental contrasting, based on her groundbreaking research and large-scale scientific studies. It combines focusing on your goals with visualizing the roadblocks in your path. You can address your fears, make concrete plans, and gain energy to take action by visualizing your dreams and confronting reality.
Oettingen applies mental contrasting to three key areas of personal change in Rethinking Positive Thinking: becoming healthier, nurturing personal and professional relationships, and performing better at work. She introduces readers to the key stages of mental contrasting by employing a tried-and-true four-step process known as WOOP—Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan—and provides advice and exercises on how to best apply this method in daily life. People in Oettingen's studies became significantly more motivated to quit smoking, lose weight, get better grades, maintain fulfilling relationships, and negotiate more effectively in business situations after engaging in mental contrasting.
Whether you are unhappy and dealing with serious issues, or you simply want to improve, discover, and explore new opportunities, Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen will deepen your understanding of human motivation and assist you in boldly charting a new path ahead.
Author: Gabriele Oettingen
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617230235/ref=as_li_tl
