There is a scripture in Proverbs which reads that "death and life are in the power of the tongue".
To put it another way, your words and thoughts shape and have the power to influence your life and the lives of those around you. For those who are frustrated with day-to-day challenges and monumental moments of crisis, it might be hard to realize that we can change our circumstances by thought and the spoken word.
Bishop Simeon Hall, senior pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church, said this school of thought - which some might consider New Age - is prevalent in the Bible.
"We frame and structure the atmosphere in which we live by what we say," Hall said. "[The saying] 'the power of the tongue' has reference to the fact that life is not only physical but spiritual. What we speak into the atmosphere has a way of affecting our lives. People need to be careful what they say."
However the bishop said wishful thinking and grand dreams are no substitute for hard work. He thinks positive thought must be backed up with action in order to change a person's life and lead them on a path to dream fulfillment.
"There is another scripture that says, 'As a man thinketh, so is he.' Our thoughts and our words do have power," said Hall.
"However, you have to balance it with reality, the fellow who doesn't go to work, doesn't get up and try, can't simply say, 'I'm going to be a millionaire'. The words must be backed up with some action on your part. It must be backed up by an effort."
Pastor Mario Moxey, founder of Bahamas Harvest Church, said positive thoughts and words are essential to people who have suffered from years of being beaten down emotionally and verbally.
"Our words need to be words that are seasoned with faith. In our culture we like to tell people how it is and my position on that is we should tell people how it should be and frame the world for them to live in," he said.
"We need to have that goal in mind of what life could be like. It's up for us to frame that world we are living in. Many times persons have spoken down to us and said we're not going to amount to anything and we accept it and believe we are not going to make it in life."
How to think positively in a modern world
Life's challenges - personal tragedies, career lows and even daily road rage - can lead a person on a path of despair. However, Hall said modern inconveniences are no excuse for falling victim to negativity.
"[Living in] modern times does not cancel man's spiritual quest, we are still spiritual beings, as we speak the word it doesn't matter whether you are in Bible days or nowadays," he said.
"You need to speak to your atmosphere. When you hear your own words, it gives you strength. The Bible says, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'. If I say that to myself in the face of a challenge, chances are I will rise up to that and do well. Words have power."
His suggestions for turning a bad attitude to a better one are simple: Eliminate negative people and influences from your life and fill the void with people who motivate you to be better.
"Surround yourself with people who are succeeding in the area you want to go," Hall recommended.
"When I was starting out as a young preacher I studied as best I could and I tried to emulate some famous preachers.
"People who have dreams and aspirations need to talk to some persons, study some persons who themselves were dreamers. If you hang around people whose aspirations are lower than yours, you're not going to go too far."
Moxey had similar views.
He suggested that people who have a hard time getting negative thoughts and influences out of their heads find a mentor or teacher who has a lifestyle they wish to emulate.
"One, they need a mentor, someone that can speak into their lives. A connection with a mentor is important. They need an environment that accentuates their positives and speaks to the potential that's on the inside of them. If they can't be in that environment daily, then find an environment like that at least on a weekly basis," Moxey recommended.
Reading the Bible or other inspirational texts will help to craft a mindset that is more positive, he added.
Moxey also said creating a vision of what you want your life to be like is vital.
"It's one thing to think about it. It's one thing to roll it around in your mind. But it's something entirely different to put pen to paper."
Forgetting the critics
On your path to a more positive attitude, you will no doubt find detractors and nay-sayers who contend that life is a collection of uncontrollable circumstances and that humans can't do anything about it. However, both Hall and Moxey said there is anecdotal and statistical evidence which suggests a person's outlook and determination have a lot of power over the outcome of that person's existence.
"There are too many examples that we have of reports, statistics of what wealthy people do, what prosperous people do, and one of the things [that makes them successful] is the way they think about life. That has a lot to do with self-esteem and them thinking they can make it and believing they can make it," said Moxey.
"These principles are Godly principles but they work regardless of a person's spiritual state. It's not pie in the sky thinking."
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