July 25: Power of Positive Thinking

I read several devotionals every day.  Sometimes, the daily devotions speak to me, and sometimes they leave me pretty cold.  This morning, one of the devotions I read was about the power of positive thinking.  If I may sum up its message, it said that as long as you believe in something hard enough, or want something strongly enough, you will have success.  It's just the power of positive thinking.

I'm not sure I agree with that sentiment.  I have wanted to be a publishing writer since I can remember, and so far, I've only published a few poems in some literary journals and one collection of poetry.  I wouldn't necessarily label that a roaring success.  Years ago, I honestly believed, by the time I reached my current age, I would have published at least three or four books and won the National Book Award or Pulitzer Prize.  That, obviously, has not happened.  Yet.  Instead, I'm working two jobs to support my family.  I'm tired all the time, and money is a constant struggle.  So much for the power of positive thought.

Perhaps devotional writers should be a little more realistic.  Instead of saying you can achieve anything you want with positive thinking, devotional writers should provide more achievable goals like this:

Don't ever stop dreaming.  It is the dreams that keep you alive and moving.  If you don't have a dream, you won't have a goal.  If you don't have a goal, you won't want to get out of bed.  If you don't get out of bed, blood will pool in your leg.  If blood pools in your leg, you will develop a deep vein thrombosis.  If you develop a deep vein thrombosis, you will probably die.  So keep dreaming.

There's definite wisdom I can get behind in that little devotion.

So Saint Marty will keep dreaming.

Think positive:  I DO look like Goerge Clooney!