Article March 28, 1936 Issue

Positive Thinking

GWENDOLEN ELIZABETH DAVIDSON

POSITIVE thinking, if in accord with Principle, Love, is right thinking. Expressing joy, love, harmony, and gratitude, it moves on toward perfection. True thinking excludes as unworthy all acrimonious criticism, doubt, hate, and fear. Negative thinking, on the contrary, is false thinking, clouded with gloom, discord, indifference, and ingratitude, remaining ever inert. These opposite mental conditions may be likened to a mountain stream and a stagnant pool. The one is clear, pure, sparkling, active, powerful, useful; the other is impure, bitter, harmful, stagnant, noxious, worthless.

When Christian Scientists observe in others such qualities as selfishness, pessimism, resentment, and jealousy, they know that their duty is to see the unreality of these. Mortal mind—which includes all ignorant, misleading, seductive, destructive thoughts—should be rejected as false and powerless, for complaisance with its suggestions results in darkness, discord, and death. Paul's words in this regard are clear and pointed: "To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

What a delight it is to contemplate the significance of being spiritually minded! Such constitutive elements as peace, purity, goodness, tenderness, humility, confidence, courage, joy, and love immediately present themselves to thought. We rejoice to find these characteristics shining forth in our friends, and these attributes become more apparent and substantive as our acumen is sharpened by spiritual perception and scientific demonstration.

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