1 Tim. 2:15 STUDY and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully TEACHING] the WORD of TRUTH. Amplified Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the SECRET PLACE of the Most High [EL ELYON] shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty [SHADDAI]. I will say of the Lord, “He is my REFUGE and my FORTRESS, My God, in Him I will trust.”
d. Joshua 1:8 This book of the Law [Torah] shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall MEDITATE on it by day and by night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall act wisely.
e. 1 Timothy 4:15 MEDITATE on these things; be in these things in order that your improvement may appear to all.
c. 1 Cor. 10:13 No TEMPTATION has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be TEMPTED above what you are able, but with the TEMPTATION also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.
d. James 1:12-14 Blessed is the man who endures TEMPTATION, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one being TEMPTED say, I am TEMPTED from God. For God is not TEMPTED by evils, and He TEMPTS no one. But each one is tempted by his lusts, being drawn away and seduced by them.
Step 3 – APPLY THE PRINCIPLES OF YOUR TEXTBOOK [THE WORD OF GOD]:
a. Rom 2:13-15 For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the DOERS of the Law will be justified. For when the nations, who do not have the Law, do by nature the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law unto themselves, who show the work of the Law [Torah] written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and the thoughts between one another accusing or even excusing one another.
b. James 1:22-25 But become DOERS of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a DOER, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror. For he studied himself and went his way, and immediately he forgot what he was like. But whoever looks into the Perfect Law of liberty (The Law [Torah] is Perfect” – Psalm 19:7) and continues in it, he is not a forgetful hearer, but a DOERS of the work. This one shall be BLESSED in his doing.
Think It, Say It & Do It!:
I READ, MEDITATE & STUDY THE PRINCIPLES OF MY TEXTBOOK, the Word of God, as I SEE MY TEMPTATIONS AS SIMPLY A TEST, and APPLY ITS PRINCIPLES in Yeshua’s Name! Shalom Y’all!
Showing posts with label positive thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label positive thinking. Show all posts
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Sunday, July 7, 2013
***Simple Technique to Stop Negative Thoughts***
In my early 20s I experienced a personal breakdown as a result of storing repressed memories and emotions associated to various incidents over the years. My mental health decided that one day it was giving up and went into self sabotage and desolation. I would wake up every day feeling numb and exhausted. I would have terrible visualizations that something bad was going to happen. I even had flashes of harrowing pictures involving the people I deeply cared about. Every day seemed like an uphill struggle and lacked any feelings of excitement about anything. It never used to take much to get me excited (as I was such a positive person), but during this time I could never get into that excited, happy state. I would go out and spend money on a whim in the hope that it would give me a buzz, make me feel a bit more alive inside. Of course, it never did
I was very conscious that as a naturally happy person I was feeling very different. I remember vividly looking out into my garden and seeing a dark and grey border around the edges of my vision. It was like I was in a tunnel, and all I could see was what was in front of me. Every time a happy thought came into my mind, something horrible took it away by replacing it with something unpleasant. I put up with it for three years, and things started to get better as I took a course in homeopathy and naturally weaned myself off anti-depressants. The strange, sporadic flashes kept continuing, however, and I was worried that I was going to create or experience them. I was unable to fully control my thoughts, and I began to understand why a few years later.
I have always had a deep fascination with the psychology of the mind and decided to qualify in Neuro Linguistic Programming. During my studies, I began to understand how my mind was working, and the realization that I could literally manipulate my thoughts amazed me. I became a master of my own mind, and I am going to teach you how you can re-wire yours as well.
I am sure some of you reading this have experienced similar bizarre thoughts and visualizations. The unconscious mind is very powerful, dominating the conscious mind, playing tricks on us and causing us to think in negative ways. Of course, a common issue is the lack of serotonin in the brain which can create negative feelings, and many people turn to pills to try to balance it out. But, pills really only act as a plaster (I am not a doctor, though, and do not suggest that you stop taking them if you are on them). In my experience, I had terrible side effects from taking anti-depressants: my body would often reject them, and I tried out about six different types. Finally, I turned to an amazing therapist and homoeopathist who weaned me off them; I will always remember him to this day for that very reason.
Your deepest healing must start with identifying the root cause of your unhappiness. Many people are not even aware of their root causes, fighting against themselves but feeling mentally defeated and worn out. That is why it’s so important to work with a professional who can help you draw out the deeper underlying triggers; do not suffer alone.
My moment of clarity came when I realized that thoughts were simply that – a thought. I wasn’t going mad, but I had unconsciously anchored some very negative thought patterns because I was in a state of self sabotage. I had unconsciously learned to punish myself with a negative thought, whenever I was starting to feel positive again. I had simply learned a habit of thinking negatively during my experience of depression, and my mission was to undo this detrimental behavior.
The magic to finally alleviating this way of thinking came by being able to detach myself from the thought itself. I would acknowledge when one popped into my head, really notice the detail, thank it, and then let go of it. I removed any anxiety or fear around my thoughts, and by simply accepting them as thoughts, they disappeared over time.
Before I mastered NLP, the above process was extremely effective for me. I was actually achieving my own re-wiring without really being aware of what I was doing. The great news for you is that I am about to share an NLP technique which may speed up the process a bit:
When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, going back into a past memory or saying something which is detrimental to your well-being, follow this simple technique:
Find a quiet place where you can sit and not be interrupted, and close your eyes (you can keep your eyes open if it’s easier).
Bring in the thought, words or feelings that are causing you upset or discomfort.
Notice how they are making you feel, what you see, hear, smell or taste.
Decide what you would like to replace the thought, word or feeling with. Perhaps it might be something which smells nice, tastes nice or feels good. Perhaps you have a past happy memory which you could use to replace this thought. Really connect to the state.
Imagine or pretend to release the thought, word or feeling, so it is separate from you. Maybe you might want to imagine that it’s a particular color, shape or person, and see it as though it’s in front of you on the floor like an object.
When you are ready, using your imagination, bring in the positive thought or feeling which you’d like instead, and saturate the negative thought you see in front of you. Soak it, dowse it, drown it, and suffocate it!
Remain in that wonderful state of positivity until the negative thought has disappeared.
Come back into the room, look at the time, and do a quick jog on the spot… (trust me on that bit!).
I was very conscious that as a naturally happy person I was feeling very different. I remember vividly looking out into my garden and seeing a dark and grey border around the edges of my vision. It was like I was in a tunnel, and all I could see was what was in front of me. Every time a happy thought came into my mind, something horrible took it away by replacing it with something unpleasant. I put up with it for three years, and things started to get better as I took a course in homeopathy and naturally weaned myself off anti-depressants. The strange, sporadic flashes kept continuing, however, and I was worried that I was going to create or experience them. I was unable to fully control my thoughts, and I began to understand why a few years later.
I have always had a deep fascination with the psychology of the mind and decided to qualify in Neuro Linguistic Programming. During my studies, I began to understand how my mind was working, and the realization that I could literally manipulate my thoughts amazed me. I became a master of my own mind, and I am going to teach you how you can re-wire yours as well.
I am sure some of you reading this have experienced similar bizarre thoughts and visualizations. The unconscious mind is very powerful, dominating the conscious mind, playing tricks on us and causing us to think in negative ways. Of course, a common issue is the lack of serotonin in the brain which can create negative feelings, and many people turn to pills to try to balance it out. But, pills really only act as a plaster (I am not a doctor, though, and do not suggest that you stop taking them if you are on them). In my experience, I had terrible side effects from taking anti-depressants: my body would often reject them, and I tried out about six different types. Finally, I turned to an amazing therapist and homoeopathist who weaned me off them; I will always remember him to this day for that very reason.
Your deepest healing must start with identifying the root cause of your unhappiness. Many people are not even aware of their root causes, fighting against themselves but feeling mentally defeated and worn out. That is why it’s so important to work with a professional who can help you draw out the deeper underlying triggers; do not suffer alone.
My moment of clarity came when I realized that thoughts were simply that – a thought. I wasn’t going mad, but I had unconsciously anchored some very negative thought patterns because I was in a state of self sabotage. I had unconsciously learned to punish myself with a negative thought, whenever I was starting to feel positive again. I had simply learned a habit of thinking negatively during my experience of depression, and my mission was to undo this detrimental behavior.
The magic to finally alleviating this way of thinking came by being able to detach myself from the thought itself. I would acknowledge when one popped into my head, really notice the detail, thank it, and then let go of it. I removed any anxiety or fear around my thoughts, and by simply accepting them as thoughts, they disappeared over time.
Before I mastered NLP, the above process was extremely effective for me. I was actually achieving my own re-wiring without really being aware of what I was doing. The great news for you is that I am about to share an NLP technique which may speed up the process a bit:
When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, going back into a past memory or saying something which is detrimental to your well-being, follow this simple technique:
Find a quiet place where you can sit and not be interrupted, and close your eyes (you can keep your eyes open if it’s easier).
Bring in the thought, words or feelings that are causing you upset or discomfort.
Notice how they are making you feel, what you see, hear, smell or taste.
Decide what you would like to replace the thought, word or feeling with. Perhaps it might be something which smells nice, tastes nice or feels good. Perhaps you have a past happy memory which you could use to replace this thought. Really connect to the state.
Imagine or pretend to release the thought, word or feeling, so it is separate from you. Maybe you might want to imagine that it’s a particular color, shape or person, and see it as though it’s in front of you on the floor like an object.
When you are ready, using your imagination, bring in the positive thought or feeling which you’d like instead, and saturate the negative thought you see in front of you. Soak it, dowse it, drown it, and suffocate it!
Remain in that wonderful state of positivity until the negative thought has disappeared.
Come back into the room, look at the time, and do a quick jog on the spot… (trust me on that bit!).
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Saying Goodbye To Your “I” and Hello To Your Freedom
You’re free to see a seemingly difficult situation as a challenge instead—an opportunity to transform it into something positive.
An audience is building. A tiny voice says, “Keep going.” It’s the voice of a different self. One who knows it’s all going to work out.
There’s another premise in Buddhism called patient acceptance. You can’t force life to change. You create the conditions for change to come about. Then you accept that it will come when its time has ripened. Not before.
Maybe you can’t always change a situation by just snapping your fingers and making it go away. But you can change your perception of it.
Change your perception and you change the world.
Literally.
If you’re free to realize that this self is just an idea, then you’re also free to let go of those selves that don’t serve you because they don’t produce a positive perception of events.
You can learn to recognize them when they crop up. You can even have some fun and give them names. When they show up you can just say, “Take a hike, Larry (or Mary)!”
An audience is building. A tiny voice says, “Keep going.” It’s the voice of a different self. One who knows it’s all going to work out.
There’s another premise in Buddhism called patient acceptance. You can’t force life to change. You create the conditions for change to come about. Then you accept that it will come when its time has ripened. Not before.
Maybe you can’t always change a situation by just snapping your fingers and making it go away. But you can change your perception of it.
Change your perception and you change the world.
Literally.
If you’re free to realize that this self is just an idea, then you’re also free to let go of those selves that don’t serve you because they don’t produce a positive perception of events.
You can learn to recognize them when they crop up. You can even have some fun and give them names. When they show up you can just say, “Take a hike, Larry (or Mary)!”
Monday, June 10, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
more perfection for me.
For security: Seek self-assurance
Rather than always looking to the other person to make you feel secure in your relationship, get into the habit of reassuring yourself. Start to challenge your own fears and imaginings rather than just accepting them. Ask yourself: "Hold on a second. What real evidence is there for this fear?" At the same time you can focus on the thought: "Okay, nothing in this life is certain and I can live with that. And even if this relationship did end, I'm strong enough to go through it and ride it and will have learnt things from it." We all need to go with the flow in relationships. What we fear will be 'the end of the world' if it happens never really is.
Sit down, close your eyes, and strongly imagine feeling relaxed and secure around your partner. This will train your brain to feel that "whatever happens, I'll be okay."
<333 link
Focus on the good
Relationships are meant to be fun (at least some of the time). Insecure people look for signs of what's not working. I want you to look for signs of what is.
Doing this will get you and your partner feeling naturally more positive.
No meaningful relationship will always totally work all the time. Being too black or white about relationships spells trouble. There are always some difficulties, but keep focusing on what is good.
This doesn't mean that you have to accept anyone who will accept you, even if they are obviously not right for you. But it does mean that if there are occasional problems, you don't have to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' and become so destructive that the relationship ends or so clingy that your partner ends it for you.
Emma learned to relax and enjoy her relationship. She stopped feeling she had to control what her partner thought or did and her new laidback attitude made it easier for their love to genuinely blossom.
A good relationship is there for you to enjoy together, to share resources and develop together in healthy ways. If someone really does treat you badly or lies and cheats, then feeling insecure is a natural and justified response. However, if you're actually in a generally good relationship, then follow these tips because what you have is precious.
But possibly not as precious as the knowledge that whatever happens, you can relax because you'll be okay.
Rather than always looking to the other person to make you feel secure in your relationship, get into the habit of reassuring yourself. Start to challenge your own fears and imaginings rather than just accepting them. Ask yourself: "Hold on a second. What real evidence is there for this fear?" At the same time you can focus on the thought: "Okay, nothing in this life is certain and I can live with that. And even if this relationship did end, I'm strong enough to go through it and ride it and will have learnt things from it." We all need to go with the flow in relationships. What we fear will be 'the end of the world' if it happens never really is.
Sit down, close your eyes, and strongly imagine feeling relaxed and secure around your partner. This will train your brain to feel that "whatever happens, I'll be okay."
<333 link
Focus on the good
Relationships are meant to be fun (at least some of the time). Insecure people look for signs of what's not working. I want you to look for signs of what is.
Doing this will get you and your partner feeling naturally more positive.
No meaningful relationship will always totally work all the time. Being too black or white about relationships spells trouble. There are always some difficulties, but keep focusing on what is good.
This doesn't mean that you have to accept anyone who will accept you, even if they are obviously not right for you. But it does mean that if there are occasional problems, you don't have to 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' and become so destructive that the relationship ends or so clingy that your partner ends it for you.
Emma learned to relax and enjoy her relationship. She stopped feeling she had to control what her partner thought or did and her new laidback attitude made it easier for their love to genuinely blossom.
A good relationship is there for you to enjoy together, to share resources and develop together in healthy ways. If someone really does treat you badly or lies and cheats, then feeling insecure is a natural and justified response. However, if you're actually in a generally good relationship, then follow these tips because what you have is precious.
But possibly not as precious as the knowledge that whatever happens, you can relax because you'll be okay.
Monday, April 15, 2013
How Learning to Be Positive Saved My Life
Easy ways you can become more positive:
Gratitude. Start a gratitude journal in order to focus on the positive. List five things per day in which you are grateful. Getting into this daily habit forces you to appreciate more out of your life, and subsequently conditions your thinking to be on the look out for the positive. You will begin to start looking for things that will go on your daily list, and expecting them to show up. Even if some days you can only think of the basics such as, enough food to eat, a comfortable bed, or the sun shining, no matter how bad a day is you can always be grateful. I remember when my mom told me a story about how her car broke down and she was stranded for three hours in the rain, waiting for AAA to pick her up. When she told my brother about her awful day, he (the eternal optimist) replied, “At least you have a car to break down!”
Affirmations. Begin repeating affirmations. Many of these still amuse me with their annoying level of optimism, or cheesy phrasing. But, they work. Telling yourself such extreme phrases of positive thought teaches your brain to reprogram your thinking to highlight the good in life. Louise Hay is the master of positive affirmations. Simply adding one or two to your wall or bathroom mirror can shift your thinking. Google “positive affirmations”, and there are tons of sites out there that give you a new, daily positive affirmation. Finding ones that go with aspects of your life that you are struggling with also help tremendously. I have found that they can ease anxiety, even if I don’t believe the affirmation 100%. You can’t think two thoughts at once. Only one thought can go through your head at a time (though it may be at lightening speed!)… so while you are saying a positive affirmation to yourself, the thoughts of negativity or anxiety are incapable of existing at the same time. That is the beauty of positive affirmations
Surround yourself with positive people. Keep the naysayers at a distance. We all have people in our lives that seem to always find something to complain about. It’s never their fault, and they always get the worst hand dealt to them. Whether they are family or friends, keep them at a distance. Once you begin to recognize negative thought, you instantly raise your awareness of how negative the people are around you. Your tolerance level for others being negative in your life instantly goes down as soon as your awareness of it goes up. You DESERVE to be happy, and it takes effort to surround yourself with others that are happy. Being happy takes effort, as does depression, but it is the most worthwhile endeavor.
Live in the present. So many people preach this recently… but what does it really mean?? It means don’t expect negativity. Don’t think about some future event and assume a negative outcome. Yesterday, my mom was talking about moving and said to me “If that garage isn’t cleaned out and organized before the move, I will have major stress!!”. Don’t assume that a situation will cause anxiety or stress, otherwise you will absolutely make it a self fulfilling prophecy. Even if you have to force it at first, tell your self it will go smoothly and easily. Don’t look back on past negative events and assume that it is the way a future even will end up. Stay in the now, for this present moment is all we have. Today is all there is. Assume good things will result.
Choose to be positive. I did. Life is so good, you just have to let yourself be able to realize it.
http://dreaminthelife.com/2009/06/hello-world/
Gratitude. Start a gratitude journal in order to focus on the positive. List five things per day in which you are grateful. Getting into this daily habit forces you to appreciate more out of your life, and subsequently conditions your thinking to be on the look out for the positive. You will begin to start looking for things that will go on your daily list, and expecting them to show up. Even if some days you can only think of the basics such as, enough food to eat, a comfortable bed, or the sun shining, no matter how bad a day is you can always be grateful. I remember when my mom told me a story about how her car broke down and she was stranded for three hours in the rain, waiting for AAA to pick her up. When she told my brother about her awful day, he (the eternal optimist) replied, “At least you have a car to break down!”
Affirmations. Begin repeating affirmations. Many of these still amuse me with their annoying level of optimism, or cheesy phrasing. But, they work. Telling yourself such extreme phrases of positive thought teaches your brain to reprogram your thinking to highlight the good in life. Louise Hay is the master of positive affirmations. Simply adding one or two to your wall or bathroom mirror can shift your thinking. Google “positive affirmations”, and there are tons of sites out there that give you a new, daily positive affirmation. Finding ones that go with aspects of your life that you are struggling with also help tremendously. I have found that they can ease anxiety, even if I don’t believe the affirmation 100%. You can’t think two thoughts at once. Only one thought can go through your head at a time (though it may be at lightening speed!)… so while you are saying a positive affirmation to yourself, the thoughts of negativity or anxiety are incapable of existing at the same time. That is the beauty of positive affirmations
Surround yourself with positive people. Keep the naysayers at a distance. We all have people in our lives that seem to always find something to complain about. It’s never their fault, and they always get the worst hand dealt to them. Whether they are family or friends, keep them at a distance. Once you begin to recognize negative thought, you instantly raise your awareness of how negative the people are around you. Your tolerance level for others being negative in your life instantly goes down as soon as your awareness of it goes up. You DESERVE to be happy, and it takes effort to surround yourself with others that are happy. Being happy takes effort, as does depression, but it is the most worthwhile endeavor.
Live in the present. So many people preach this recently… but what does it really mean?? It means don’t expect negativity. Don’t think about some future event and assume a negative outcome. Yesterday, my mom was talking about moving and said to me “If that garage isn’t cleaned out and organized before the move, I will have major stress!!”. Don’t assume that a situation will cause anxiety or stress, otherwise you will absolutely make it a self fulfilling prophecy. Even if you have to force it at first, tell your self it will go smoothly and easily. Don’t look back on past negative events and assume that it is the way a future even will end up. Stay in the now, for this present moment is all we have. Today is all there is. Assume good things will result.
Choose to be positive. I did. Life is so good, you just have to let yourself be able to realize it.
http://dreaminthelife.com/2009/06/hello-world/
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Monday, October 1, 2012
Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk
Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk
Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.
Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills. Here's how.
Understanding positive thinking and self-talk
Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.
The health benefits of positive thinking
Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.
Identifying negative thinking
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk:
Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.
Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.
Focusing on positive thinking
You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:
Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship, for example. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.
Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.
Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.
Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them.
Negative self-talk Positive thinking
I've never done it before. It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated. I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
I'm too lazy to get this done. I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities.
There's no way it will work. I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change. Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me. I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I'm not going to get any better at this. I'll give it another try.
Practicing positive thinking every day
If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost.
Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.
Mayo Clinic
Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.
Indeed, some studies show that personality traits like optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that typically comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair — you can learn positive thinking skills. Here's how.
Understanding positive thinking and self-talk
Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.
The health benefits of positive thinking
Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.
Identifying negative thinking
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk:
Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.
Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.
Focusing on positive thinking
You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:
Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship, for example. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.
Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.
Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.
Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them.
Negative self-talk Positive thinking
I've never done it before. It's an opportunity to learn something new.
It's too complicated. I'll tackle it from a different angle.
I don't have the resources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
I'm too lazy to get this done. I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine some priorities.
There's no way it will work. I can try to make it work.
It's too radical a change. Let's take a chance.
No one bothers to communicate with me. I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
I'm not going to get any better at this. I'll give it another try.
Practicing positive thinking every day
If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost.
Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.
Mayo Clinic
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