The good news is you don't seem to suffer from serious depression. If you did then you would know it is a very real physical problem that positive thinking can

The good news is you don't seem to suffer from serious depression. If you did then you would know it is a very real physical problem that positive thinking can't really overcome. Not just physically in terms of brain chemistry but you often literally sink into your chair as if you were physically exhausted and don't want to move. Depression enforces negative thought templates. No matter how good your life is going you will usually see the negative side of things and be depressed mentally and physically. In a healthy person this is not the case. Your mood will vary widely by the situation you are in but most of the time positive thought templates will prevail and allow you to see the best even in difficult situations. It also gives you the mental/psycological energy needed to tackle difficult challenges/problems. In a fully depressed state you have no such energy no matter what your willpower is. A healthy person has the mental and physical energy to tackle the day even when it involves hard/tedious or unpleasant work. One paradoxical thing about depression is that it can sometimes actually feel good, in a comforting "oh it's that familiar feeling again" way. Usually that is just when you feel the onset of symptoms before the bad feelings/thoughts/feelings.