With the popularity of the positive thinking movement, creating positive vibes from your thoughts and visualising positive things to create your dream life, can there come a point where you can be too positive?
I don't believe that you can but there are a number of reasons that make it appear so. The main reasons are the response of others, your own limiting beliefs and social and cultural expectations.
The response of others to your positive attitude
You may have experienced this yourself - you are feeling down on your luck, maybe you have lost your job and are genuinely worried for your future. Along comes a positive thinking friend and tells you that there is a land of opportunity out there, this is the best thing that could happen to you, this will get you out of your rut and off into a positive new direction. You were hoping for sympathy and a shoulder to cry on. What do they know about your situation and all the difficulties you have to overcome? How dare they dismiss your problems in this way? In the end you could feel like telling them where to shove their positive attitude!
So all in all, when you feel like that it can appear that people can be too positive. In fact, they can't be too positive and are doing you a favour by not joining you in your low energy state. In the end, other peoples' reactions are not your issue. However, I believe there are times to keep our positivity to ourselves. If people are not in a place where they can be receptive, you just make them feel worse.
Since the ego seeks approval and popularity, it is all too easy to go along with people's negative feelings with a "poor you" or "that's terrible" or "how could they do that to you?!" Maybe it would be more helpful to give them a hug and say that you want to see a positive outcome to their situation.
The other reaction you can come across when you are feeling positive is people trying to dampen you down, lower your expectations and telling you if you aim too high you may be disappointed. This is simply because your vibrations are very different. One often feels most comfortable in the company of those with a similar vibration. Anything off the scale feels too unfamiliar, so there is a temptation to try and bring the positive person's vibration down to their level. Again, other peoples' feelings are their own business and your vibration is YOUR business. How do you want to feel?
Limiting Beliefs
Another thing that can affect how good you can feel is your own set of limiting beliefs. When we grow up we experience a certain level of affluence according to our family circumstances. We usually aspire to do better than our parents but often settle for only a certain level of improvement. We are conditioned to a certain comfort zone and if we were brought up in a terraced house, we may be able to see ourselves in a detached house on a similar housing estate. It may be too much of a jump to see ourselves in a country mansion! So in that case it can feel "too positive" to want that rise in affluence. It doesn't matter but it is good to know that we are bound by our beliefs and these can be changed if we wish. Just being aware that a belief is holding you back can be enough to make a shift. Other beliefs can be very fundamental, affecting our sense of worthiness to receive, perpetuating fears of change, or feeling that if we have too much success in one area of life, we may lose in another area. These are all stories that have become ingrained in our consciousness.
Social and Cultural Expectations
Our aspirations in life will be greatly affected by where we live in the world and the society and culture around us. It seems that there are certain levels of success in life that are "acceptable". Messages from the media also reinforce in us the peramaters in which we are expected to operate. Often these messages are full of doom and gloom! The economy is failing so you must tighten your belt. Job loss statistics are rising. Most of the population are bound to succumb to swine flu. More people than ever are having their homes reposessed. Obesity is rife and if you are fat you will be persecuted and you may die! The list of negative messages goes on and on and are broadcast repeatedly every day.
So often people take these stories as absolute truth and believe that to go against these trends in thought is unrealistic and "too positive". They think that to choose other beliefs is pie in the sky and living in cloud cuckoo land!
Actually, a story is a story. To choose your own is to separate yourself from the crowd, and it can be lonely over there. But if you believe you create your own reality, then choose good stories! Stories that inspire you and make you feel really good. Keep telling yourself these stories and soon you will believe them and you will be setting a positive reality in motion.
It's not all doom and gloom! It is love and light! Be as positive as you want and be a light in the world - you deserve it, it is your natural state of being, and all is well.
