Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. --Abraham Lincoln
Our negative thoughts can be like pebbles rolling down the mountainside. One pebble bumps into another one. The second begins rolling and slams into a third. On and on it goes until thousands of pebbles, rocks, and even giant boulders are hurtling down the mountain.
When we find ourselves stuck in a rut thinking a negative thought, we can decide to stop and replace it with a positive thought. At first our single positive thought may not dislodge another one. We may have to think of several and start them rolling down the mountainside. If we practice, we will find it becomes easier for that first good thought to shake loose others. We will see our lives change when we begin to look atthepositivesideofthings.
How can I begin to shape my outlook today?
Hanuman said
Apr 24, 2005
Good one Rick. Whether though nature or nurture, negative thinking has always seemed to come more easily to me than positive thinking.
I do believe that conditioning in negative thinking and projections have generally brought about negative experiences ... regardless of a situation's actual outcome. I always seek some confirmation of the negative expectations.
When I focus on the negative, I tend to magnify it. It increases. Bringing about the same results with positive thought seems to require a lot more diligence and effort! When I've finally gotten tired of being miserable and decide that I want to be happy, it's really a matter of changing my thinking.
I've found that cultivating an "attitude of gratitude" and trying to be spontaneously appreciative, creates a joyful life. For me, seeing the potential for good and faith in positive outcome requires a trust in the unknown. I don't know about anyone else but the unknown makes me very uncomfortable so I plan for the worst outcome. Perhaps it's a survival mechanism or some sort of adaptation from the past but it's a pretty sick way for me to live today.
I have the feeling that changing my thinking may be a lifelong process. But there's been progress.
Our negative thoughts can be like pebbles rolling down the mountainside. One pebble bumps into another one. The second begins rolling and slams into a third. On and on it goes until thousands of pebbles, rocks, and even giant boulders are hurtling down the mountain.
When we find ourselves stuck in a rut thinking a negative thought, we can decide to stop and replace it with a positive thought. At first our single positive thought may not dislodge another one. We may have to think of several and start them rolling down the mountainside. If we practice, we will find it becomes easier for that first good thought to shake loose others. We will see our lives change when we begin to look atthepositivesideofthings.
How can I begin to shape my outlook today?