Do you ever find that you just automatically think negative thoughts?
Without even trying they just seem to pop right up in your head at very inconvenient times, right? Like right when you are about to lick that ice cream cone you feel yourself saying “you’re going to regret that”.
But when you really dial it back is enjoying one ice cream cone automatically equal negative body image and low self-esteem? Of course not — but somehow many folks automatically correlate ice cream with sinful behavior.
Why is that?
Today we are going to help you powerfully untangle those gripping negative thoughts.
Stepping away from thoughts toward food, how about thoughts like these:
- I’ve always been ugly.
- I’m never tall enough.
- I always run late.
- The banker always has it out for me.
- I never get good parking.
- My employees never give their all.
- I never win contest.
- My spouse always looks for ways to annoy me.
- I always attract the wrong mate.
- I never have enough money.
- I’m never happy these days.
- I’ve never known a love like theirs.
Any of these sound familiar?
What is happening in those very moments are automatic negative thoughts are flooding your mind. Some thoughts we’ve emotionalized (attached feelings to them) and begun to repeat them for so long that we actually believe that we never find good parking. Thus because that is what we believe in our core that is thus what we attract. Some of us never even drive to the front of the parking lot because we just know we are not going to find parking.
The crazy thing is by the time you walk to the store entrance why is it you who always sees someone pulling into that first parking spot. #CLASSIC
Some of us have settled for things we actually don’t really desire because we believe that is what we’ll always get. We believe we never have enough money and so we never have enough money. We believe we suck at marriage and now are on our fourth. Your new marriage doesn’t have to end like your last relationship.
Today let’s help you unwind those thoughts.
- Acknowledge the thought
- Ask yourself does this thought serve me? How does it make me feel?
- Do I know if the thought is 100% true? Even if it seems likely, is it 100% true?
- If I was to reflect/think on the complete opposite feeling how would feel? What would I say? What would be my attitude?
- Write down #4 (the opposing idea) to your original thought and say it outloud, feel it and repeat.
The parking example:
- I acknowledge that I just parked in the back of the lot because I don’t think I will find parking in the front
- I hate parking in the back because I have to lug all my items much further than I desire to. I don’t think this thought helps me, though I never find parking – I wish I did. It would make life easier.
- I guess I don’t know if it is 100% true all the time. I didn’t even go check for parking up front today.
- If I was to think of the complete opposite – I would drive up front expecting parking. I would have a positive/happy attitude and feel full of excitement.
- I feel full of excitement and positive happiness because I parked my car in the front of the parking lot close to the store.
Feel the change happening? You just untwisted your thoughts.
#5 is where the magic is.
This is where you take your once negative not-serving thought and change it into something positive. Speak #5 out loud, repeat it; actually feel it in your bones. You just may surprise yourself the next time you enter a parking lot.
