Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Henri Junttila of Wake Up Cloud.
“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Have you ever wanted to be more positive? Have you ever been frustrated with the negativity that your thoughts seemingly force upon you?
I think we’ve all been there, but the good news is that you can do something about how you feel. You see, the emotions you have are there because of the thoughts that precede them. Changing your thoughts is very similar to changing your habits, any habit. If you want to start eating healthier or become a minimalist, it all starts with the first step.
And it’s probably going to be hard in the beginning, because you’re trying to change something that you’re used to, and that your body is used to. However, after 3 to 4 weeks, you can start to feel comfortable in the new you.
This is exactly the process you can follow to change your thoughts and supercharge your life with positivity:
1. Read
Read books that inspire, encourage, and motivate you. It doesn’t really matter if you already know what the book is all about. What matters is that you continually feed your mind with positive and inspirational material. The more time you can spend in the land of the positive, the better. You gradually increase the amount of time that you are positive. And if you keep doing this, you will eventually become one of those happy, positive people that can handle any adversity.
2. Listen
The second thing I personally really like to do when I’m taking a walk, washing the dishes, or cleaning the house is to listen to audio programs. Some great authors that I personally enjoy are Brian Tracy, Earl Nightingale, and Jim Rohn. They’re all old timers when it comes to self-help, and they know what they’re talking about. Even listening for 30 to 60 minutes a day will make a big difference in your life within a year.
3. Focus
While this might sound overly simplistic, most people don’t do it, which is to focus on the positive instead of dwelling upon the negative. Most people concentrate on the problems at hand instead of the solutions. It has been shown that most of our worries never even happen. That means that you are worrying and making yourself feel stressed out for no reason at all.
Next time you feel the negativity come on, flip it over and think about the positive aspect of it and what you can do about it. For example, instead of asking “Why me?” or “Why am I so unlucky?” ask yourself “What can I learn from this?” and “How can I turn this around?”
4. Release
There are some great ways to release negative thought patterns and negative beliefs. Some of my favorites are EFT, The Work, and Sedona Method. I recommend you try one of the methods above. I personally really enjoy working with EFT right now, which is short for Emotional Freedom Techniques. The more negativity you can release from your life the more peace you will feel inside and the more positive you will be.
5. Habits
What kind of habits do you have right now that cause negativity in your life? What would your life look like if you started to change them? When we make the decision to change a habit, it almost happens by itself, but you have to be determined to make it happen.
As I said above, changing your thoughts is like changing any habit in your life. It’s not going to be easy, but then again, feeling bad all the time isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
6. Goals
The majority of people never set any goals. I know that it can be scary to decide on where you want to go, and you want to leave your options open, but nothing happens until you get clear about where you want to go and what you want to do. It doesn’t matter if your goals change. In fact, that’s normal, and one of the reasons why you should keep tweaking your goals as the seasons change.
One of the best ways to set goals is to use the S.M.A.R.T criteria, which stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
Your goals will give you focus and purpose, so make sure you set goals in each area of your life. The most common areas are health, relationships, career, and personal development.
7. Passion
I’ve noticed that since I started following my passion and moving towards the life of my dreams, the positivity in my life has magically increased. Most people are doing things they don’t want to do, and they never even take a step towards finding and going after their passion.
Don’t let this be you. Go after your dreams, even if it means only being able to put aside 10 minutes a day. If you start today, you can build upon what you have, but if you keep putting it off, it will never happen.
Increasing the positivity in your life is simple, but not easy. You have to take responsibility and make it happen, because no one will do it for you.
***
Henri writes at Wake Up Cloud. If you liked this article, you may also enjoy one of his top articles: 77 Great Quotes That Will Change Your Life.
Alice p says
My life has always been in term oil one bad event after another for 30 odd yrs I have been timid and bullied and unable to defend myself domestic abuse wrongful accusations now I’m at the end of my tether as for the last six months have been the subject off harassment from someone who will not give me peace feel like running away lost all confidence in my self no one to turn to how do I turn all that around no on to trust any longer
Gurleen says
Hi! ? sorry you are going through all of this. Talk t someone you trust. Make good friends, exercise, stay healthy, and find help. Just don’t do anything stupid. Think positive. ? Be prepared for stuff. As long as you are not harming yourself, you are going to be okay. Try changing your life positively. I have had a girl cut my hair. She was not a good person. I have gone through alot too. I understand everything you are going through. ? ? Have a good day, a good life, and try making peace with everyone! ? I believe in you ???
melissa says
I would completely agree with your article. You created it in interesting way. Thank you very much for sharing your amazing talent.
richa goyal says
thnk you so much…..felt better after reading all these..!!!!!!
Stuart Ross says
What a load. I have tried all the things mentioned in this article and I am still the unluckiest person on the face of the earth. If it can go wrong in my life it will. Nothing works. It’s all useless.
Gurleen says
Maybe you aren’t trying hard enough. . . ? Try harder.
Eat healthy, exercise, and meditate for at least 15 minutes a day. Eat Almonds, dark chocolate, berries, Fruits, and drink plenty of water.
Try writing in a diary too. Know your worth. ?
Alice J. McDowell says
“I personally really enjoy working with EFT right now, which is short for Emotional Freedom Techniques. The more negativity you can release from your life the more peace you will feel inside and the more positive you will be.”
– Wow, Emotional Freedom Techniques also known as Tapping right? I heard this before. Is it really effective when you are in deep emotional stress? I Googled EFT and found this reference site http://eft.mercola.com/ , have you tried this approach before?
Henri says
Hey Alice,
I’ve been playing with tapping/EFT for the last 7-8 years or so (on and off). It’s weird, but it works.
You may want to check out this EFT YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/healingmagic
Hope this helps!
Kelly Lapp says
Just a little more info on my last post.
I received those passionate words from a hard nose HS football coach.. I was freshman when it was beat into my head (yelled/coached). Four years of P.R.I.D.E. ran through my bones. Graduated then joined the military. P.R.I.D.E. (Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort) is all I new. Scared, young didn’t know what to do. That mental advantage made me the man I am today. . I greatly appreciate the posts on here. Negativity can not exist in my life for me to be a good person to others. Great post.
Kelly Lapp
Kelly Lapp says
P.R.I.D.E.
Personal
Responsibility
In
Daily
Effort
I live by this saying
It has done wonders for me
Michelle Bross says
Law of Attraction – we expand what we focus on. Check out my article, “I AM the secret to my peaceful home.”
http://www.mychildsgardener.com/1410/i-am/
Amanda says
Thank you for including the importance of setting goals. Often times, things don’t just ‘fall into place’ without having clear direction. We can have great motives, but it’s easy for those motives to get lost in the minutiae of each day without having a purpose. I’m so guilty of this myself!
ftw online says
I like. Respect. Keep it up.