In a world where you can be anything, be kind. By that logic, we should also think positive thoughts. Positive thoughts are powerful things. Think And Grow Rich author, Napoleon Hill, makes this point in the first paragraph of chapter one. Hill argues that positive thinking increases the likelihood of success. And his line of reasoning isn't wrong. The concept supporting his stance is "motivated reasoning."

Motivated reasoning is the habit of putting some ideas over others based on our mindset. According to Julia Galef's research, "the side we want to win influences our judgment." 

Hill explains that thoughts outweigh the impact of education and money. He defines thinking as a mixture of faith, resilience, initiative and a willingness to win. Thus, a woman who "thinks" she can achieve something is closer to the proverbial finish line. That's because learning through failure is a necessary part of success. The only way to use lessons learned from failure is to stay positive and to be persistent.

Smart goals complement positive thinking. Clarity about goals helps you mentally visualize working to achieve them.

Takeaway:

We want to prove ourselves right. That's why saying "I told you so" feels so good. By entertaining a thought, we are preparing ourselves to accept it as our reality.

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