Shifting your thoughts
Thinking is a part of life. It’s what we do all day, every day. Sometimes we can’t rest from our thoughts. If you’re an over thinker like myself then you know what I’m talking about lol. You can actually train your brain what you want to think about. It’s important to think about what you’re thinking about!
Positive thinking is crucial to how awesome your life can be. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that life and death is in the power of the tongue. Our words can either speak life or speak death. We can use our words to build others up or tear them down. What we speak will affect our lives, whether good or bad. For years I had to have been the most negative thinking person ever! I was around people who thought negative all the time, which resulted in me adopting the same thought process. Thankfully God placed people in my life to help me notice that every thing I thought and spoke was something negative, which yielded in negative results and a miserable life. Even something that was positive, I would find a way to pick out something negative about it.
Being humble and open to receive constructive criticism, from the right people, is also a major factor in shifting your thought process. Eventually, I began intentionally implementing things to help combat my negative thinking. I also became aware of the negative words I was speaking. I was speaking death into every situation but wanted to see life results, that don’t even go together! Deliberately practicing positive thinking and being cautious of speaking positive words has changed my life! We all have choices, let’s choose to be positive and think positive! Below are a few tips that has helped in shifting my thought process from a negative mindset to a more positive one.
Make self-improvement a priority for yourself.
Be intentional about your growth. Whether it is meditating, doing yoga, exercising, taking a walk, having a spa day, a spiritual practice, or reading books on self improvement. The options are endless! Be consistent and continuously find ways to add to your list of improving yourself.
Positive self-talk and positive imagery.
We are our own worst critics and can be super hard on ourselves, which can lead to negative thinking about ourselves. Speak positive words daily, starting as soon as you get out of bed! I start each day with speaking positive words to myself and repeating affirmations in the mirror. You may feel crazy at first, but you’ll get used to it and start looking forward to it. I love saying things like “It’s a great day to have a great day!”, “It’s a beautiful day to be alive!”, and “It’s going to be a GREAT day!” A small shift in the the way you speak to yourself can influence your thoughts and feelings as well as boost your overall outlook on life.
Focus on the good things.
Obstacles will always arise in our lives, it’s a part of life. However, it is not what comes at us but rather how we respond to it. No matter what your situation may look like, focusing on the good things that are in your life will help you view every tribulation differently. For example, you have shelter, food, transportation, and just the fact that you are alive! You can always find the good in every situation!
Practice gratitude.
Every morning I list three things that I am grateful for! It really does set the tone for my day. To help others, I also would text someone randomly and say “give me 3 things that you are grateful for”. It does not have to be a long thought out process. Really the first things that come to your mind is what you should go with. Your gratitude list may look different tomorrow, and tomorrow’s list may look different the next day. You can always add more than three if you’d like but three is a good starting point. You can also keep a gratitude journal and write down a list of things you’re grateful for when you have challenging days. Practicing gratitude can improve your self-esteem and reduce your stress.
Random acts of kindness.
Kindness is a behavior or action that not only benefits the receiver but also the giver. Random acts of kindness is giving yourself to others without looking for something in return. Having the right intentions is equally important. You can make the difference in the life of someone just by showing kindness. This could be giving a complement, paying for the person behind you morning coffee, sending a positive text to someone, leaving a positive note on a windshield or in person, and something as simple as holding the door open for someone. The person on the receiving end may be having a bad day and your kindness can uplift their spirit, which is important! Implementing this daily has dramatically increased my optimism and not to mention the amazing feeling you get when you show kindness to someone else.
Surround yourself with positive people.
Sometimes we unconsciously take on the thoughts of the people we are around. Negativity and positivity is contagious! Evaluate the people you choose to be around. Are they negative or positive? Is their energy good or bad? Are they uplifting you or tearing you down? Are they an asset (adding to your life) or are they a liability (taking away from your life)? Being around positive people can also contribute to you reaching your goals. Surround yourself with people that genuinely love and care for you and want to see you win and be sure to pay it forward!
Thinking positive is something that has to be worked on daily! The good thing is that we can keep working at it and choose to think positive. You may not get it right every time and that is ok! Don’t beat yourself up because you had a negative thought or spoke a negative word, it’s a process! Be aware and ponder on what contributing factor(s) made you have that thought. Find out the root of why you spoke those negative words. Then you can be aware the next time and choose to change your thoughts. Let me know what are some things that causes you to think negatively? What do you do to help you combat negative thinking? What are some tips that has helped you in shifting your thoughts to positive?