“Before I was aware of this, countless negative thoughts flowed through my mind throughout the day.  As a result, I was more pessimistic about life and my destiny.”

Negative thoughts and emotions are common contributors to stress.  Replacing negative  thoughts with positive thoughts, also called cognitive restructuring, is an important element of living a stress-free life.  For many individuals the process of changing our thoughts is easier said than done.  It takes time to change negative patterns of thinking.

Positive affirmations are statements that are used to affirm individuals and shift their patterns of thinking, from negative to positive.  Affirmations need to be repeated at least 30 times per day for 30 days in order to become a part of a person’s natural thought pattern.  One thing that I have done in the past to change negative thoughts is to write affirmations down on several index cards and place them in common places.  I place an index card on the window in the kitchen, on the refrigerator, on the dashboard, in my tote bag, and on my desk at work.  Whenever I see the affirmation, I repeat it several times.  I would remind myself to say the affirmation and repeat it as many times as I can during the day until it becomes a habitual thought.

To get started on your quest for positive thinking you need to decide what negative thoughts you will replace and then find a new thought to replace it. Here is an example.

Instead of: “Nothing ever goes my way”

Try: “I am the deliberate creator of my life”

The following link will provide you with a list of affirmations to get started.  I would suggest that you start with two or three affirmations.  Once you master those add more to your positive thinking bank.

http://www.self-help-and-self-development.com/list_of_affirmations.html

For anyone that has decided that they want their life to be different, it is important to change the negative thoughts that filter through the mind throughout the day.  Before I was aware of this, countless negative thoughts flowed through my mind throughout the day.  As a result, I was more pessimistic about life and my destiny.  I did not have very high aspirations for myself and was generally unhappy.

Once I realized that my reality and happiness lies within myself, primarily my thoughts, I began to search for affirmations that negated the negative thoughts that were commonplace in my brain.  It took a conscious effort to pay attention to my thoughts to realize that I was my own enemy and creating added stress in my life.

Today, I no longer reside in a pessimistic state of mind.  If I do “go there”, it doesn’t last long as I do not feel comfortable residing in that space anymore.

Pay attention to your thoughts throughout the day.

What are you telling yourself about your situation?

How are you interpreting your reality? 

Is it a pessimistic viewpoint? 

Find new thoughts to replace it with and watch how your life transforms over time.

Namasté

~Hilda

Follow Hilda on IG at @hildafields and on her website at hildafields.com