“The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will.”
– William James
How often have you heard people say things like:
“Just be positive.”
“Think positive thoughts.”
“Just have a positive attitude.”
And how often have you tried to be “more positive” only to feel defeated when you were unable to sustain a flow of positive thoughts all day long?
The truth is that we ALL experience negative or unwanted thoughts from time to time.
Adopting a more positive mindset is not about thinking positively 24/7.
Rather, it is about acknowledging that while we may not be able to control the thoughts that pop into our minds, we can control HOW we respond to them.
Having a positive mindset requires that you recognize thoughts as being just that. Thoughts.
Thoughts that are only as powerful as YOU make them out to be.
Remember that your thoughts are NOT true reflections of reality.
Thoughts are a combination of ideas, memories, judgments, interpretations, and predictions put forward by your brain as it tries to make sense of the world.
Your brain takes cues from your physical state, senses, and memories, and makes guesses all the time.
You have a choice to buy into these guesses or not.
So, how do you do that especially when negative thoughts start to become persistent?
You pause.
Pause as soon as you recognize you are having an influx of negative thoughts or Saboteur interference.
In that pause, take a deep breath in, then out so you can create a bit of distance from unwanted thoughts and establish an awareness that these are merely thoughts (not facts) that you don’t have to listen to.
You can then choose to replace unwanted thoughts with beneficial ones.
Granted, it may not be as easy as it sounds.
You might find that the challenge lies in recognizing when you are being sabotaged by your thoughts.
Perhaps you have become so accustomed to hearing that self-critical voice of your Saboteur(s), you have mistaken its/their voice as your own.
It is thus important to know your Saboteurs and what they sound like.
For example, your Judge (the master Saboteur we ALL have) might say things like, “Just look at what you did. You messed up,” or “You’re never going to achieve that at this rate.”
Developing the practice of recognizing Saboteur interference, labelling it as such, and directing your focus toward helpful thoughts is key to establishing a more positive mindset.
So, what type of thoughts did you have today?
Did you manage to identify unwanted thoughts as Saboteur interference, or did you feel compelled to pay attention to these thoughts?
Drop me an email at ilze@ilzealberts.com or send me a WhatsApp if you would love to learn how to identify Saboteur interference and redirect your thoughts.
I will connect with you on an obligation-free discovery call to discuss how you can take the next step toward building a more positive mindset.
From my heart to yours,
Ilze
