Say This, Not That: 7 Responses for Common Negative Thoughts

Saythisnotthat

We often define ourselves by the mental chatter that goes on constantly inside our heads. By our thoughts, we have ideas of who we are and what everything around us means.

And the only way that you can begin to recondition your subconscious mind for success is by detaching yourself from the idea that you are your thoughts.

Related: 9 Ways to Say No to Negativity

Feelings of success, mindfulness and happiness come from the realization that thoughts come and go of their own accord—that you are not your thoughts. You can watch as your thoughts appear in your mind, almost from thin air, and watch again as they disappear, like a soap bubble bursting. Your thoughts come and they go, and ultimately, you have a choice about whether to act on them or not.

If you have been operating on autopilot for a while, you’ve probably settled into a nice groove, and it takes some serious effort to change that. It’s sort of like how you feel on a cold winter morning, while you’re nestled in between your warm sheets, when the thought of getting out of bed is uncomfortable, and when doing so requires motivation and willpower.

But whenever you fully grasp the idea that you are something far greater than your thoughts—beyond words at all—you begin to understand that you have the power to choose which thoughts you will think. 

Related: Control Your Negative Thoughts (Before They Control You)

Try it out: 

Think of a purple banana… Got it? 
Think of a flying elephant… Got it? 
Think of a green bicycle… Got it?

You were able to conjure up images of these incredibly silly ideas because you have control over your mind. Your mind will do whatever you tell it to do, so altering your subconscious mind, and therefore your life, is no more difficult a task than telling your mind to do new things—new things, like complete belief in yourself and your abilities, regardless of what anyone else thinks or says.

A simple way to grasp this whole idea is to compare your mind and your thoughts to a computer. Your subconscious mind can be compared to the hard drive, the actual machine itself; your conscious mind can be compared to the programs that are loaded on the machine; and you can be compared to the programmer, who chooses the programs that are installed on the computer.

Your thoughts and beliefs are nothing but programs that are installed on your hard drive, and since they determine the course of your life, it would be wise to install the most beneficial programs you can find. All it takes to reprogram your mind is a sincere desire to do so and an indomitable persistence to stick with it day after day.

Related: What Happened When I Didn’t Complain for 30 Days

When you catch yourself thinking the following negative thoughts, replace them with these positive thoughts.

When you think this… Say this instead

  1. Think about the future! Enjoy the moment you’re in right now. 
  2. Don’t do something you’ll regret! In the end, we only regret the things we didn’t get to do. 
  3. I wish I hadn’t done that! I can’t change the past—learn and move on. 
  4. Will things ever work out? What’s meant to be will happen. 
  5. Why did they do that? I can’t control others but I can control how I react to it. 
  6. Will I ever find happiness? What can I be happy about right now? 
  7. What’s wrong with me? I am perfect exactly the way I am in this moment. 

You can flip it and begin training your thoughts to empowering statements of positivity. Changing the way you think is vital to your success. Negative thinking can stop you before you even get started.

As Wayne Dyer said, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

               Related: It Takes a Positive Attitude to Achieve Positive Results

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A young entrepreneur, author and speaker, Carla Schesser is a woman who is passionate about inspiring and educating youth to live a life they love. Carla's book, #Success - Mastering the Basics to a Happy, Healthy & Wealthy Life is a simple, practical and motivating guide which young adults will enjoy reading while learning important skills which empower them and allow them to discover how to live a peaceful, successful and healthy life. Carla also writes for The Huffington Post, Elite Daily, Addicted2Success and Lifehack.

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