Why the message about positive thinking is wrong

Positive thinking is nothing without purposeful action. 

There seems to be this written and unwritten law among people in the self development space that all you have to do is think positively and all of your problems will magically disappear. Believe and you will receive so to speak.

Here is why I think this is incorrect.

The premise behind this basically ignores all of the suffering in the world. Look at countries that have been in famine. Should they just believe that they have food and it will appear? I don't think so. 

I do believe however that there is definitely something in the whole, believe and you will receive mantra. For starters, being negative blocks positive energy from coming your way. For instance, if you do not believe that there is anything good going to happen to you, you may sit around your house all day and not interact with anyone. Through doing this, you may miss an opportunity. whether that opportunity is finding a $50 note on the ground, or getting a job offer. If you are not open to the positive things that could happen, you cannot receive anything positive.

By living on purpose and creating a positive life, you are putting your beliefs into action. It's the whole Noah's Ark story. Noah believed that there was going to be a flood. So he prepared. Sure people thought that he was crazy, but all the good people are aren't they???  Noah and the animals in this story were not saved by thinking positively. They were saved because he recognised a possibility where things could change, and he prepared for it. If he just clung to the same beliefs as everyone else, he and all the animals in the story would have drowned.  

Belief without action is useless. I think we all know someone who says- oh just be positive. Yeah but then what??? If you are struggling financially- be positive that YOU can alter your situation. Make a budget. Work with your partner to find a solution. Find services that can help you get back on your feet. Staying positive is only half of the equation. It may be an extremely positive half of the equation, but it is only half.

How are you going to implement purposeful action into your life??

Do you have any ideas on creating your own positive life? Do I have it all wrong?

Let me know in the comments section....