Why It's Not Possible to Always Think Positively – Hanuman Chalisa Holds the Secret
Ankit Gupta | Apr 15, 2025, 11:32 IST
To believe that one can always think positively is to believe that one has full control over the mind. This is not just unrealistic — it’s an act of ego. The mind, as defined in Indian philosophy, is not a machine but a chanchala (fickle), drifting ocean of impressions, desires, fears, memories, karmic residues, and societal conditioning. Even Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita acknowledges the mind’s restless nature: “चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्।”Trying to force the mind into a state of constant positivity is like trying to calm a storm by shouting at the clouds. The harder you try to “think positive,” the more your mind will retaliate — bringing up even deeper-seated fears and anxieties. The attempt becomes counterproductive.
“श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज, निज मन मुकुर सुधारि।
बरनऊँ रघुबर बिमल जसु, जो दायक फल चारि॥”
Tulsidas begins the Hanuman Chalisa not with a dramatic proclamation, but with surrender — a surrender that opens the gates to true inner transformation. He doesn’t speak of mental control or positive thinking. He speaks of cleansing — “Nija man mukura sudhaari” — the mirror of the mind. This is profound. It is not about forcing the mind to think in a certain way. It is about preparing the mind to reflect truth.
In the modern self-help world, there’s a seductive idea: “You must think positively at all times.” It is repeated in books, talks, reels, and seminars. It is based on the belief that your thoughts shape your life, and therefore, by always being positive, you can attract abundance, love, success, peace.
But here’s the truth: this mindset creates anxiety — not peace.
Because when you can’t always think positively — and no one can — you begin to feel guilt, shame, and fear. Ironically, the effort to be positive leads to negative self-judgment.
You begin to fear your own mind. You fight with yourself.
But ask yourself honestly: is your mind truly under your control?
It isn’t. And it shouldn’t be.
Because we don’t fully understand it. Most of your thoughts arise uninvited. They come from your subconscious, your past, your samskaras (impressions), and often even from external energies. To attempt to “control” all your thoughts is like trying to manage each wave of the ocean with your bare hands.
It is not possible. And it is not healthy.
Observe your thoughts for a day. You’ll find they jump across time, people, places, emotions, conversations, memories. The Vedas describe the mind as “manovrittis” — fluctuations. The Yoga Sutras don’t ask you to control the mind by positive thinking. They ask you to still the fluctuations through abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (non-attachment).
But positive thinking is neither practice nor detachment. It’s a performance — a mask we wear.
And that mask becomes unbearable over time.
That’s why people who try to constantly think positively often break down, have emotional outbursts, or fall into depression — not because of their negative thoughts, but because of their resistance to them.
As Carl Jung said:
“What you resist, persists.”
Let’s now explore a healthier alternative. Instead of trying to think positively, try ignoring the mind.
Yes, ignore.
When a disturbing thought arises — don't fight it. Don’t analyze it. Don’t follow it. Don’t label it as bad or good. Just let it pass, like a passing car on a highway. You don’t run behind every car, do you?
Give your thoughts less attention.
This is not escapism. This is mastery through indifference.
And like a person who is ignored repeatedly stops trying to talk to you — your thoughts, too, will reduce their grip on your attention. This isn’t control. This is liberation.
Let’s return to the Chalisa. Tulsidas gives us not a mental technique, but a spiritual practice.
He does not say: "Force your mind to be clean." He says, “Clean the mirror first. Then reflect the divine.”
“निज मन मुकुर सुधारि” – cleanse the mind.
How? Through devotion. Through remembrance. Through the chanting of divine names.
This is not surface-level affirmation. This is deep-rooted rewiring. When you chant the Chalisa with awareness, you’re invoking not just words — you’re invoking Hanuman’s consciousness. His fearlessness, purity, focus, devotion — begin to imprint upon your own psyche.
Modern science now validates what ancient India always knew — sound has power. Repetition rewires the brain. Chanting alters neural patterns. It reduces cortisol, increases focus, and creates new grooves in the mind.
Every verse of the Chalisa is a vibration. And vibrations enter where logic and control cannot go.
Take for example:
“संकट से हनुमान छुड़ावै,
मन क्रम वचन ध्यान जो लावै॥”
“Hanuman frees us from all obstacles for those who align mind, action, and speech in devotion.”
Not “think positive.” Not “suppress fear.” But focus your being — mind, word, and deed — in devotion. That’s the real solution.
You’ll often notice this: People who chant Hanuman Chalisa every day look mentally centered. Not because they’ve killed all negative thoughts, but because those thoughts don’t stick anymore.
Their mental mirror is regularly cleansed.
The Chalisa creates a spiritual filter — a protective energy shield. Negative energies can’t stay for long. Fears lose grip. Lust and anger fade faster. That’s why Tulsidas says:
“भूत पिशाच निकट नहिं आवै
महाबीर जब नाम सुनावै॥”
Even psychic and subconscious disturbances — symbolized by bhut-pisach — retreat at the sound of Hanuman’s name. It’s not about “thinking happy thoughts.” It’s about inviting divine force to do the work your ego never could.
One of the greatest illusions in spirituality is that you have to fight your mind to be spiritual.
But the Hanuman Chalisa says otherwise.
It teaches us: you don’t need to conquer the mind — you need to cleanse it. And cleansing happens not through willpower, but through surrender.
Tulsidas didn’t try to control his mind. He surrendered to Hanuman. And through that surrender, grace flowed.
This is the same truth behind:
“राम दुआरे तुम रखवारे,
होत न आज्ञा बिनु पैसारे॥”
Hanuman becomes the gatekeeper of the inner Ram — the Divine Self. When Hanuman (devotion, discipline, strength) guards the gates, negativity cannot enter.
Once chanting becomes regular, you’ll notice a chain reaction:
This is not “positive thinking.” This is mental tapasya. It’s slow. It’s real. And it lasts.
Why Hanuman? Because he is the ideal mind. His mind is not reactive. It is laser-focused on seva (service), anchored in bhakti, and overflowing with power.
Tulsidas says:
“मन, बच, क्रिय, राम पद नेह।
सकल प्रकार रघुपति गुन गेह॥”
“Hanuman’s mind, speech, and actions are always anchored in Ram.” That is mental mastery. That is purity. Not control — but complete alignment with the Divine.
The secret isn’t to try to think positively. The secret is to stop identifying with your thoughts altogether.
Let your mind be a mirror. Let it reflect Hanuman. Let it reflect devotion. And cleanse it daily — not with effort, but with chanting, visualisation, and love.
So next time your mind troubles you, don’t panic. Don’t control it. Just sit. Chant. And let the Chalisa do what your willpower never could.
“नासे रोग हरे सब पीरा,
जपत निरंतर हनुमत बीरा॥”
All suffering, all pain dissolves — not by thinking positively — but by chanting with faith. That’s the path Tulsidas gave us. And it’s more relevant now than ever.
बरनऊँ रघुबर बिमल जसु, जो दायक फल चारि॥”
Tulsidas begins the Hanuman Chalisa not with a dramatic proclamation, but with surrender — a surrender that opens the gates to true inner transformation. He doesn’t speak of mental control or positive thinking. He speaks of cleansing — “Nija man mukura sudhaari” — the mirror of the mind. This is profound. It is not about forcing the mind to think in a certain way. It is about preparing the mind to reflect truth.
The Myth of Constant Positivity
Positivity
In the modern self-help world, there’s a seductive idea: “You must think positively at all times.” It is repeated in books, talks, reels, and seminars. It is based on the belief that your thoughts shape your life, and therefore, by always being positive, you can attract abundance, love, success, peace.
But here’s the truth: this mindset creates anxiety — not peace.
Because when you can’t always think positively — and no one can — you begin to feel guilt, shame, and fear. Ironically, the effort to be positive leads to negative self-judgment.
You begin to fear your own mind. You fight with yourself.
But ask yourself honestly: is your mind truly under your control?
It isn’t. And it shouldn’t be.
Because we don’t fully understand it. Most of your thoughts arise uninvited. They come from your subconscious, your past, your samskaras (impressions), and often even from external energies. To attempt to “control” all your thoughts is like trying to manage each wave of the ocean with your bare hands.
It is not possible. And it is not healthy.
Where Does the Mind Wander?
Fluctuating Mind
Observe your thoughts for a day. You’ll find they jump across time, people, places, emotions, conversations, memories. The Vedas describe the mind as “manovrittis” — fluctuations. The Yoga Sutras don’t ask you to control the mind by positive thinking. They ask you to still the fluctuations through abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (non-attachment).
But positive thinking is neither practice nor detachment. It’s a performance — a mask we wear.
And that mask becomes unbearable over time.
That’s why people who try to constantly think positively often break down, have emotional outbursts, or fall into depression — not because of their negative thoughts, but because of their resistance to them.
As Carl Jung said:
“What you resist, persists.”
Ignore, Don’t Engage: The Secret of Detachment
Solo Detached
Let’s now explore a healthier alternative. Instead of trying to think positively, try ignoring the mind.
Yes, ignore.
When a disturbing thought arises — don't fight it. Don’t analyze it. Don’t follow it. Don’t label it as bad or good. Just let it pass, like a passing car on a highway. You don’t run behind every car, do you?
Give your thoughts less attention.
This is not escapism. This is mastery through indifference.
And like a person who is ignored repeatedly stops trying to talk to you — your thoughts, too, will reduce their grip on your attention. This isn’t control. This is liberation.
The Hanuman Chalisa: Not Affirmation, But Transformation
He does not say: "Force your mind to be clean." He says, “Clean the mirror first. Then reflect the divine.”
“निज मन मुकुर सुधारि” – cleanse the mind.
How? Through devotion. Through remembrance. Through the chanting of divine names.
This is not surface-level affirmation. This is deep-rooted rewiring. When you chant the Chalisa with awareness, you’re invoking not just words — you’re invoking Hanuman’s consciousness. His fearlessness, purity, focus, devotion — begin to imprint upon your own psyche.
The Science of Sound and Spiritual Rewiring
Every verse of the Chalisa is a vibration. And vibrations enter where logic and control cannot go.
Take for example:
“संकट से हनुमान छुड़ावै,
मन क्रम वचन ध्यान जो लावै॥”
“Hanuman frees us from all obstacles for those who align mind, action, and speech in devotion.”
Not “think positive.” Not “suppress fear.” But focus your being — mind, word, and deed — in devotion. That’s the real solution.
Positive Thinking vs. Devotional Living
Why Regular Chanters Feel Mentally Balanced
Cleansed Aroma
You’ll often notice this: People who chant Hanuman Chalisa every day look mentally centered. Not because they’ve killed all negative thoughts, but because those thoughts don’t stick anymore.
Their mental mirror is regularly cleansed.
The Chalisa creates a spiritual filter — a protective energy shield. Negative energies can’t stay for long. Fears lose grip. Lust and anger fade faster. That’s why Tulsidas says:
“भूत पिशाच निकट नहिं आवै
महाबीर जब नाम सुनावै॥”
Even psychic and subconscious disturbances — symbolized by bhut-pisach — retreat at the sound of Hanuman’s name. It’s not about “thinking happy thoughts.” It’s about inviting divine force to do the work your ego never could.
Control Is Ego. Surrender Is Power
Hanuman and Ram
One of the greatest illusions in spirituality is that you have to fight your mind to be spiritual.
But the Hanuman Chalisa says otherwise.
It teaches us: you don’t need to conquer the mind — you need to cleanse it. And cleansing happens not through willpower, but through surrender.
Tulsidas didn’t try to control his mind. He surrendered to Hanuman. And through that surrender, grace flowed.
This is the same truth behind:
“राम दुआरे तुम रखवारे,
होत न आज्ञा बिनु पैसारे॥”
Hanuman becomes the gatekeeper of the inner Ram — the Divine Self. When Hanuman (devotion, discipline, strength) guards the gates, negativity cannot enter.
The Chain Reaction of Real Inner Work
- Thoughts still come, but their emotional charge reduces.
- You begin observing rather than reacting.
- Your desires change – you’re no longer pulled by random wants.
- You feel protected — not because nothing happens, but because you don’t collapse when it does.
- Your inner strength grows silently, organically.
Hanuman: The Archetype of Mental Perfection
Hanuman
Why Hanuman? Because he is the ideal mind. His mind is not reactive. It is laser-focused on seva (service), anchored in bhakti, and overflowing with power.
Tulsidas says:
“मन, बच, क्रिय, राम पद नेह।
सकल प्रकार रघुपति गुन गेह॥”
“Hanuman’s mind, speech, and actions are always anchored in Ram.” That is mental mastery. That is purity. Not control — but complete alignment with the Divine.
Surrender Is Greater Than Control
Let your mind be a mirror. Let it reflect Hanuman. Let it reflect devotion. And cleanse it daily — not with effort, but with chanting, visualisation, and love.
So next time your mind troubles you, don’t panic. Don’t control it. Just sit. Chant. And let the Chalisa do what your willpower never could.
“नासे रोग हरे सब पीरा,
जपत निरंतर हनुमत बीरा॥”
All suffering, all pain dissolves — not by thinking positively — but by chanting with faith. That’s the path Tulsidas gave us. And it’s more relevant now than ever.