Did you know that our thought processes are what make our existence the way it is? If our thoughts are constantly on the negative, then these are the things that will continue to show up in our lives. We are inviting these kinds of circumstances to be active participants in everything we do. However, if we turn those negative thoughts into positive thoughts with positive outcomes, then we start seeing a change in the sort of events that happen around us.
This isn’t easy to do—to retrain the mind in how it thinks. Many of us have been programmed to the negative slant for most of our lives. Adjusting to a different way takes time, practice, and patience. The key to retraining the mind is to be persistent with making it happen, and be self-compassionate when the inevitable backwards slip happens.
I do think that slipping backwards is part of the retraining though. This slip back into negative ways helps us become more aware of how our thoughts work. To recognize the kind of patterns that need to be addressed. So don’t stress too much about getting it right. Our own individual right way will reveal itself as we continue to retrain the negative mind.
Here are some ways to help retrain your negative mind…
- Realize that you create your own reality. Everything you think can lead to possible outcomes that are negative or positive.
- Make it a daily routine to be more mindful of your thoughts by meditating, walking, yoga (or some other slow-moving mindful exercise), or just sitting quietly for a little bit.
- Take a negative situation you might be having and start thinking of positive outcomes. Then graduate to doing this as much as you can with as many negative situations. Just dedicating 10 to 15 minutes a day can be very effective.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed by situations or emotions, recognize the things that are causing you strife, and why. Then find a way to let them go.
- Then breath slowly imagining peace and love taking the place of any negative situations that really don’t serve you any more.
- Also, realize that maybe the negative experiences aren’t as bad as you think. Maybe these experiences are helping you, or showing you something that needs addressing, even if it’s just you learning to become calmer in a storm.
Eventually as you start shifting your thought patterns, you might actually begin to see that the positive can be found in most “negative” situations.
Believe it or not, we each have the power to shift our realities any time we choose. Sure, it takes some honest effort and dedication, but speaking as someone who used to be in quite a negative downward spiral for a good chunk of her life, it’s worth the effort, and them some. I’m tired of a life of extreme stress and a downtrodden existence. It’s a reality I am very happy to step out of.
How about you?
Cynthia D. Griffin 