The story of Pollyanna tells of a young girl who, after her father’s death, goes to live with her wealthy aunt. Upon Pollyanna’s arrival, the dispirited people in the town miraculously become joyful and healthy simply by interacting with her.

Over the years, the term Pollyanna has come to refer to a person who is cheerfully optimistic to the point of naiveté. This is unfortunate, because it entirely misses the metaphysical point of the story. Pollyanna transforms the town, making it a happier and healthier place, simply by seeing its people through forgiving and appreciative eyes. Quantum physics would say, “the observer has altered the observed.” 

The science is in… we must all be Pollyanna’s.

But how do we go about this? Well, firstly, we must heal ourselves, and this begins with forgiveness. “Forgive who… for what?” you ask. We must forgive ourselves for our ignorance, our stubbornness, for our prejudices… and for not getting it right yet. Maybe then we could stop beating ourselves up. That would be a good start.

After we have forgiven ourselves, we must learn to appreciate what we have. There is magic in this. When we appreciate what we have, what we have appreciates… we literally get more of it. 

Let’s risk leaving the fearful, negative, unhealthy tribal thinking we’ve grown up with. Let’s be grateful for life and for what is, and stop bemoaning what isn’t. This simple act is the very essence of what being positive means.

By the way, thinking positively doesn’t mean we need to wear a silly grin on our faces all day long. It simply asks that we put our attention on what exists rather than on what is missing. Nobody ever made anything out of something that wasn’t there. Concentrating on what is wrong or missing is a complete waste of time, and can only lead to disappointment, stress, lack, frustration, anger, resentment and ill health.

We’d also need to let go of the past, and relax into the Here and Now, because that’s where reality is and that’s where our power lies. 

With our focus on the Here and Now, it will be far easier to side step doubt and fear, as they typically grow from our thought and are historical in nature. From this present moment experiential vantage point we are positioned to raise our consciousness to the frequency of Love. For it is here where we begin to really sense and savor life.

It is clear that our attention must be on what is, moment by moment, if we are to build and then share happy, healthy, successful lives. Positive thinking, therefore, is a no-brainer, right-minded and immensely practical, for it holds the secret, the magic and the sheer common sense of our little heroine.

So, let them call us Pollyanna. She healed a town. Maybe we can heal ourselves.