Often, we hear our parents and grandparents forbidding us from uttering anything negative, and by that I don’t mean foul language. I’m talking about the times when you say “Ugh! I’m going to fail!” and you’re immediately told “Don’t say that! You won’t fail!”
We brush it off, thinking that they’re just saying that for consolation, but there’s more to it. We speak what we think, and consequently our actions reflect on our thoughts. Once you tell yourself you will fail, you convince your mind that you will really not succeed and, in turn, your mind won’t let your body do the work required to pass.
If we’ve decided to do good, our brain will bring about all the important signals to be generated that will help us strive for that goal. By telling us to speak positively, our well-wishers are actually encouraging us to think positive and hence be positive it too.
THE THREE THOUGHTS
Each day of our lives, we broadly experience three types of thoughts: Positive thoughts, action thoughts and worry thoughts.
When we think about our accomplishments, happy events in our lives, ones we are grateful for and that brought us bliss, we are thinking positive. When we worry about future events and how they may bring us discomfort if they happen a certain way, we’re worrying. Lastly, when we think about going to the store to buy groceries, our thoughts are action ones.
For many of us, most of our thoughts revolve around worry, which inevitably deteriorate the health of our mind and body.
Why are we learning so much about thoughts? Because our thoughts basically control our lives by controlling the way we react to different ups and downs that life throws at us. Our thoughts consume and control us, and the good news is that we have the same power over them. Yes, we can control the way we think and what we think.
For those who have inherently acquired the art of thinking positive, don’t have to worry about all that much.
If you are a worrier, know that the fear inside you is an outcome of your worry thoughts. It’s not entirely your fault and you can fix it! There is some complex programming in the brain that lets you think about the grave consequences of an event even before it has occurred! The key is to stop yourself instantly and analyze. Think through the situation and make logic out of it.
What you are worrying about hasn’t even happened, then why worry?
What to worry about?
What good is worrying?
The same goes for a situation when you find yourself really anxious about something and your reflex is to react instantly. Stop yourself, sit and calm yourself down, then ask yourself the same relevant questions. This will help divert your mind from the negative thoughts and help you think straighter.
Thoughts can be dangerous. They can make each day of your life either joyous, monotonous or miserable.
At times we find ourselves vulnerable to our emotions. Do not forget that the emotions we feel is in direct relation with our thoughts. Our emotions are our thoughts.
What did we learn from all this?
- Know that life is not as hard as we think. It’s only because of how difficult we portray it to be in our heads that’s making it hard.
- Do thoughts control us?
- Can we control our thoughts? Yes.
- Whenever anxious/worried/scared, do not instantly react. Sit down and question the worry. Once you realize the worry was for no reason, shift to positive and work thoughts.
- Keep exercising these simple rules and do not give up.
You are what you think!