Six Tips For Turning Negative Thoughts Into Positive Ones

No matter how positive you are, there is probably at least one negative feeling or thought that creeps into your mind on a daily basis. Negative thoughts have many origins. They can develop from not feeling well, experiencing low self-esteem, or doubting one's self. Considering the fact that this happens to everyone, how do some people appear to be more successful at turning negative thoughts into positive ones before the negativity grows and becomes counterproductive? This article provides some tips on squelching negative thoughts before they have a chance to fester and erupt.

1. When a negative thought comes into your head, take a minute to understand and assess where it is coming from. If it is an issue or problem that you have control over, take a few minutes and develop a strategy to resolve it. If you can't control the issue or problem, accept it to the greatest degree possible and move on. You don't want to spend time being negative over things in which you have no control.

2. When negative thoughts creep into your head, acknowledge them for what they are. Explore all facets of the negative thoughts, as you may be able to learn from them. Perhaps the negative thoughts are providing an opportunity to identify and explore possible solutions to an issue or problem. We often learn most from experiencing and working through negative situations or perceived failures.

3. A strategy I use quite often is that when a negative thought creeps into my head, I quickly turn it into a positive thought. I do this for thoughts over which I have no control or for those that bombard me repeatedly. For example, if I have a thought that I might not succeed in developing a lucrative business, I automatically think about my strengths, skills, and attributes. This helps me to realize that I do have the skills and experience necessary to successfully help individuals to resolve issues, achieve goals, or make significant changes in their personal or professional lives.

4. Develop a list of positive affirmations and post them in a location where you see them daily, such as your bathroom or kitchen. Review these affirmations first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed. This should help you to start your day in a positive manner and help you to relax in the evening. Develop a list of affirmations that is unique to you; one that reflects your values, talents, skills, strengths, attributes, and those things for which you are most thankful. When you focus on positive items, the negative ones will have less of an opportunity to invade your thoughts.

5. Be grateful for what you have in life. Avoid thinking about what you don't have or possess. When I think about the economy and that business is slow, I am still thankful for having a roof over my head, food to replenish my body, and clothes on my back. Some people take these things for granted; I do not. There will always be someone who is worse off than you, so try to be as grateful as possible for what you do have. When you exude gratefulness, you can't help but being positive.

6. Say no to negative feelings and thoughts. You need to realize that you do have control over how you feel about people, situations, and events. So, no matter how much someone offends you or how bad a situation was, try to avoid letting it have a negative effect on you. Vent, take a deep breath, and turn your thoughts to positive ones. Your day will be much better if you do.

So the next time a negative thought creeps into your mind, think about where it might be coming from and try to learn from it. Give it the time it needs but avoid dwelling on it. Try to convert negative thoughts into positive ones as quickly as possible, develop a list of affirmations and review them daily, remind yourself of those things for which you are grateful on a daily basis, and learn that you can turn negative thoughts into positive ones, as you are the one who has ultimate control over your thoughts and feelings.

Copyright 2010 © Sharon L. Mikrut, All rights reserved.