Out of all the habits we may want to have, positive thinking is one of the most difficult to attain. Why? Right from being very young, we are exposed to all kinds of negative influences, either intentional or unintentional. Think of all the times when you were a child that you were told not to do this or that, or else some dire consequence may result.
We receive many damaging blows to our self esteem throughout our lives, and are constantly bombarded by bad news in the media. No wonder people are conditioned to expect events to turn out badly- I had a colleague who used to say that she always expected the worst to happen, as then she was not disappointed! What a limiting way to live your life.
Positive Thinking – Attracts Good Things in our Life
We attract into our lives what we think about. I’m sure you know someone who always expects things to turn out badly and always moaning about how many problems they have to deal with. I’ll bet that they appear to have more than their share of bad luck; this is because they are attracting it into their lives by thinking about it and dwelling on it.
Similarly, people who expect the best and anticipate that things will turn out well attract a positive outcome. By adopting the attitude of positive thinkers, and expecting the best possible outcome at all times, you will attract this positive outcome to you.
Positive Thinking to Change Your Life
We build our self image from feedback received from parents, friends, society, media and our own thoughts. We are constantly engaging in inner dialogue with ourselves, and this can be less than positive; how often have you heard that internal voice use words such as ‘You’re useless’ and ‘You’re bound to fail’? Each time we say this to ourselves, our subconscious hears this message and so we fail. This ensures that we are less and less likely to think positively in the future.
The first and most important step to positive thinking is to change this inner dialogue. Over the next 24 hours make an effort to listen to your self talk, and notice when you think something negative about yourself.
Think what thought you could replace this with instead, for example if the thought ‘I’m useless with money’ pops into your head, say to yourself ’I have made mistakes in the past but am now becoming better and better with money every day’. If you find yourself thinking ‘I’ll never lose weight’, think ‘I am making new lifestyle choices and am becoming fitter, slimmer and healthier’.
Make a habit of stopping those negative thoughts and turning them into positive ones straight away- this will filter down to your subconscious and you will automatically become what you are thinking.
Use a Journal to Stay Positive
Another way to build positive thinking is to keep a notebook or journal handy, and every night write down everything positive which happened to you that day. Write a list of all your blessings; you may not feel as though you have many, but once you start writing you will see that you actually do have a lot to be thankful for.
If you make a mistake or experience a setback, instead of dwelling on it, think what lessons you have learned from it and how you can approach the same situation next time to achieve a positive outcome. Be thankful for the opportunity to learn.
Take responsibility for your life and actions. Remember that we can’t always choose the things that happen to us, but we can choose how we react to them. If one door closes, look for the door which opens in its place- it may lead to an even better destination. Remember, positive thinking gives you the power to change your life so it is a habit well worth striving for.