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Turn on the news these days and you are likely to see anti-war protests, anti-globalism marches, and anti-bush demonstrations. In fact, if there is a cause to be had, there is likely to be an anti-movement of some sort to “fight the injustice, tyranny, (insert descriptive here)”. The thing that gets me about all these “anti” movements, is that many of them claim to work toward a positive future. How can you claim to work toward a positive solution when you are so firmly rooted in a negative past and present?

I’m not saying that these movements are wrong, just that the approach is perhaps not the best. History has shown that the most successful individuals and organizations have been focused on positive outcomes. They focused on the solutions, not the problems, and that’s where these “anti” movements are going wrong. By paying inordinate amounts of attention to a problem (war, for example) we actually continue to feed the problem. If I truly want to see and end to war, then I need to focus on the solution, and be pro-peace.

It is necessary to take a good look at a problem, to define it, and truly understand it. Once you do understand it though, stop looking at the problem, and start working on solutions. In this example, become a pro-peace activist. By placing our attention, and by extension our energies, toward a positive outcome, we become far more likely to succeed in making a positive change in our chosen cause.

This, I believe, is the crux of the positive mindset: to pay attention to all that is good, and true, and beautiful in the world. To work toward a solution, rather than fight against a problem. Fighting against the problem puts you on their turf. By opening yourself up to a positive goal, you allow creative and co-operative solutions to present themselves, and consequently expand the likelihood of achieving your aims.

An “anti” movement is, by definition, one that seeks to tear down and destroy the subject of their outrage. By contrast, a “pro” movement builds a positive future, shaping and changing the world into a better place. it works with the reality that is, and with clarity of vision, shapes and molds that reality, guiding it toward the desired outcome. This, in my opinion, is why a “pro” movement is the only movement that can ever succeed in the long run.

These ideas are not limited to global causes, however. Apply them to your personal life, with the problems that you are faced with on a daily and weekly basis. by choosing solutions over problems, you will transform yourself into a pro in all areas of your life. And that’s the real point of being a positive person: to effect change in your own life, and allow that change to spread out into your community, creating a positive outcome in your world.

The choice is yours, of course; will you be an anti-person, forever locked in a fight that you probably won’t win, or will you become the pro you were always meant to be, and have a positive impact on all that you touch?

What are your thoughts? Are you an anti or a pro? Leave a comment, and tell me why!