A story about using positive thinking to influence outcomes.
Otis was a young oak tree growing in the vast forest. He looked forward to the day when he would grow as big as the mighty oaks that towered above him.
But then he realized that his chances for survival were slim, at best. What could he do?
Otis Oak enjoyed spending his days dancing and swaying in the wind. He loved having outstretched branches that jumped up and down with joy and excitement.
But then one day he had a scary thought: “I just don’t get it,” Otis said to himself. “How am I supposed to grow any bigger if these big guys around me soak up all the sunlight and catch all the raindrops on their leaves?”
Otis knew that to grow successfully, he would need the perfect combination of sun and water. With the forest being so thickly covered by mature trees, how would he ever survive and grow?
But instead of becoming frustrated, Otis said to himself, “You know, I just have to trust that I naturally have what it takes to make normal growth possible. Other oaks before me started out right where I am today and they’re mature trees now.”
Otis trusted his instincts and believed in his ability as an oak tree to keep growing even when the circumstances seemed unfavorable. In no time, he started to see his branches and trunk extend and expand beautifully.
“I knew it! I knew that this day would come eventually,” he exclaimed.
From that moment on, Otis decided to always think positively, and good things would happen.
Moral: Choosing to be optimistic opens up a world of possibilities.
Personal Reflection
Otis was enjoying his life as a young oak tree, but he momentarily allowed negative thoughts about hindered growth to enter his mind. Those thoughts popped up as a result of him not readily seeing the solution to the concern he had about growing bigger.
That’s a reality that has probably hit you at some point in your life. You look at your circumstances, contemplate where you want to go, and then start to question your ability to get there. That kind of thinking is counter-productive and creates more doubt in your mind.
Answers to any questions you have become immediately apparent the moment you start to believe that they exist.
When you spend time doubting the existence of a path to progress, the pathways become narrow and almost invisible. Your mindset determines the roads that open up in front of you.
Like Otis, it’s important to have confidence in your inherent abilities and natural talents. Those things are the source of your power and ability to progress in life. When you rely on them to dictate your possibilities, those possibilities become realities.
Take whatever time you require to clear your mind of negative thinking. Use your quiet moments to affirm confidence in your talents and gifts. Once you achieve that acceptance that you are capable and enough, expect to see answers raining down from the heavens. The future is as bright as you believe it to be.
Self-Reflection Questions:
- What are some of the differences I notice in my demeanor when I choose to think positively?
- What are the most reliable sources for finding solutions?
- How effective is meditation at causing me to change my mindset?