Back when I was convinced I could positively think my way out of all my problems, friends told me to visualize the things I wanted in my life and to "really believe" they were on their way to me. In many ways, positive thinking is a very positive thing: it encourages you to examine what you want in your life, and it also inspires gratitude for the things you have. Gratitude, in my opinion, is huge. Focusing on our blessings nurtures our souls and gives credit to God for the things in our lives that are not broken (in our worst moments, the unbroken things might seem small--enough to eat, health, sunshine, family or friends--but almost always, we have something to be grateful for).
Positive thinking is dangerous when it becomes positive wishing. Somehow, people have the idea that every single person should be able to have every single thing desired simply because it is desired. If I want to be thinner and fall in love and own a million dollar summer home, positive thinking says all I have to do is believe I deserve it. If you believe in any kind of higher purpose, then this theory smells fishy from a mile away. Why would God put us here to spend our lifetimes fulfilling every whim? Often we desire things that would ultimately end up harming us or would not bring the happiness we anticipate.
While positive thinking in its truest sense encourages us to appreciate our blessings and think positively about the challenges we face, positive wishing encourages us to take God's place in deciding what we should have and when. None of us can know how the strands of our experiences will weave together in the end. We can't know what the tapestries of our lives are meant to depict. Instead of focusing on what we wish we had, contentment is found focusing on what we do have and what that suggests about the lives we are meant to lead. For example, I don't have enough coordination to be a professional athlete and am not built like a fashion model. No amount of positive thinking can change these attributes. God simply did not intend for me to pursue either of those paths. I could waste a lot of energy wishing that I were built differently, or I can trust that God knows best and focus on the talents I do have. I can use those talents to pursue the path that God intended for me.
Sometimes it is less clear cut. Maybe you have a lot of athletic potential (think Rudy), and a little voice inside urges you to continue on that path even if you are not sure you can succeed. Always listen to the little voice. Never shirk away from hard work that might uncover your potential. But, if it feels like you are beating your head against a wall, you might be. Are you wishing your way into a life that isn't intended for you? If so, then re-evaluate and appreciate the gifts that you do have, and look for another path. You always have the answer inside of yourself if you are willing to listen.
Always remember: you have everything you need to get where you are going. If you don't have it, and you can't get it through hard work, then you aren't meant to go there. Do not suffer unnecessarily mourning what cannot be. Something wonderful awaits if you can turn away from wishing and live the life you are meant to live.
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