The Pros of Pollyanna

Did you know there is a thing called the Pollyanna Principle? It describes the tendency people have to agree with positive statements about themselves.
Initially, that struck me as kind of self-evident - we're all egotists, after all.

When I saw it rephrased in another way, however, a lightbulb went off:
"Research indicates that, at the unconscious level, our minds have a tendency to focus on the optimistic while, at the conscious level, we have a tendency to focus on the negative."

Just think about that for a second ...

The part that just is, believes in us.
It's when we start thinking that we create problems for ourselves.

Now, I have a long history of over-thinking almost everything (just ask SP) so I'm very familiar with the concept of being your own worst enemy. But I had never really considered the flip-side, that our non-thinking, intuitive center is actually, "A really big fan!"

(Sure goes a long way toward explaining a lot of the funny little dichotomies we all have within ourselves, though, doesn't it?)

It also made me wonder... I've mentioned that several friends have noted my increased self-confidence since I've been involved with BG. My assumption had been that this was because I was integrating an important aspect of me -- becoming more myself.
I still think that is a large part of it but now I wonder if there's more to it as well.

Remember I mentioned how submission brings me out of my usual state of detachment and into the here and now? In effect, makes me stop thinking, brings me completely into the physical, and lets me simply be?

Maybe spending time in that unthinking head-space is helping to change the balance. Maybe while I'm busy not thinking, my inner cheerleader gains a toehold because the critic isn't around to push her out?
Worth, errrr, thinking about, anyhow.

Which I will certainly do- as I don't intend to give up thinking anytime soon. Even if there are positive effects from occasional stints as a tabula rasa, don't expect me to relinquish cogitation. It's too much fun and I wouldn't know how to stop, anyhow! :-)
But maybe I can learn to quit before I think myself into knots.

Any knots are BG's job now ...  :-)