| On Oct. 15, CBC Radio's program "The Current," | | | | personal level, it leads to self-blame and a morbid |
| featured author Barbara Ehrenreich's latest book, | | | | preoccupation with stamping out "negative" |
| Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of | | | | thoughts. On a national level, some argue that it's |
| Positive Thinking Has Undermined America | | | | brought America an era of irrational optimism |
| In her book, Ehrenreich takes a trenchant look | | | | resulting in disaster. |
| into America's obsession with presenting a | | | | As a life, business and results coach, who has |
| "positive" image at all times and at all costs. | | | | cancer survivors in her practice, I firmly believe in |
| Spurred by her own reaction to a bout of breast | | | | the power of positive thinking. My doctor's advice |
| cancer, Ehrenreich came face-to-face with the | | | | wasn't bad. But like all things taken to the |
| near obsessive culture of positivity, which led to | | | | extreme, when it doesn't allow for the full range |
| her questioning not only what purpose it serves, | | | | and spectrum of human emotions, it can be |
| but how it came to exist. | | | | limiting. And there's also the danger that adopting |
| Ehrenreich's experience and advice from others, | | | | a positive attitude to the extreme can lead to |
| that she had to be positive to beat cancer, is a | | | | people living in that Egyptian River called "Denial." |
| common experience for many cancer patients. | | | | Which, after something serious like a cancer |
| Ten years ago when I was diagnosed with | | | | diagnosis, can be a great place to wade in |
| cancer, my own surgeon, just before the | | | | temporarily, I did it myself. But only in the short |
| surgery, told me that he would do a great job | | | | term. The happiest, most successful people are |
| but that I had to work on my positive mental | | | | those who both have a positive mental attitude |
| attitude. This scared me even more, and led me | | | | but are also realistic about their lives. |
| to believe that my healing and recovery from | | | | Food for Thought Determine which side of the |
| cancer was solely dependant on my attitude. | | | | spectrum you lean towards, are you too |
| Ehrenreich had a similar experience, with many | | | | optimistic and wading in that famous Egyptian |
| people telling her that in order to heal she should | | | | River, or are you pessimistic to an extreme? |
| have one kind of feeling or approach and it best | | | | After determining this, spend the rest of the |
| be positive. | | | | week altering your thoughts in the new direction |
| With the myth busting powers for which she is | | | | you want to move towards. Over time and with |
| acclaimed, Ehrenreich exposes the downside of | | | | practice, your new attitude will be your fallback |
| America's penchant for positive thinking: On a | | | | position for everything in your life. |