replacing negative thoughts with the positive

You go about your day, running errands. At the checkout counter, the clerk serenely asks, “How are you?” You give a nod and respond with the same question but as a statement.

It’s too easy to do in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. An earnest question becomes another informal ritual to move from one duty to the next. A similar issue occurs with hearing compliments. They reach your ears, trigger a quick “Thank you,” and go right out the other ear. You’re running on fumes.

It’s easier to move on from positive feedback than negative feedback. Positivity slips through the mind and heart like mist, but negativity can dwell inside the body and shape your entire day. When you pause and receive the positive, you free yourself from the traps of negativity.

What Looks Like Never Is Only Now

The mind focuses on 80,000 thoughts a day. Unsurprisingly, 90% are thoughts you’ve already had, and 80% of those are negative. It explains why in the middle of achieving a goal, you focus on the one thing that isn’t working out. Your brain is on autopilot, but you can break negative thought patterns with intentional awareness and reframing.

People have a bad habit of latching on to always/never thinking. If you think “I will never get raise,” your energy is focused on a situation that will never change for you. They say that “Time heals all wounds,” so know that this too shall pass.

It Takes One Challenge to Release Negative Thinking

Open your mind and heart to receiving the positive with mindfulness. Instead, say “I have not had a raise in a long time.” You open yourself up to looking at the situation objectively and positively. The same applies to put-downs you may find playing in your mind like a broken record. The simple act of challenging these negative thoughts begins with a single crack and spreads until you leave behind a shattered mask.

What’s broken can be made beautiful. Many people may not consciously realize that they felt safer running on autopilot. The weight of repeating negativity wears you out, wears you down, but you free yourself with a simple challenge.

It’s as easy as taking a moment to recognize the pattern itself to no longer give it permission to have an impact on you. It’s as easy as letting a positive compliment sink into your synapses and slip into a smile. You receive the positive and release the pattern of negative thinking.

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