You gotta think anyway, why not think positive – ever heard that?
It’s a nice postcard saying, but in reality, there’s a lot to it.
Because our brain can’t NOT think. That’s inevitable. However, we can influence WHAT we think.
In doing so, one can proceed quite pragmatically.
- What do I think about all day long?
- Do my thoughts help me cope with life and be happy, or do I tend to spoil everything for myself?
Probably the latter for you, right? Because unfortunately, we tend to make things tougher with the way we think. In this case, you should consider which thought might be more helpful to you. (Whether it sounds like you or you can believe yourself is secondary for now. Everything new is unfamiliar at first. So that’s fine.)
Recently, someone told me they just couldn’t stand their mother-in-law and that life was better when they were single. This phrase came up in various forms throughout the conversation. When she looked at me for advice, I told her, “You’re thinking the wrong thoughts.”
Was the thought “Life was better when I was single” beneficial to her situation at all?
Imagine you have two admittedly odd pets: a cockroach and a chick. You always carry them around with you and have them everywhere you go. Every time you think negative, destructive thoughts, you feed the cockroach and the chick goes hungry. However, when you think constructive and helpful thoughts, the chick gets to eat.
Who do you want to fatten? Who are you currently feeding and who is starving?
Here are a few practical examples for rethinking:
- I can’t do this – I’ll just try it now.
- I always do everything wrong – Mistakes are opportunities to learn, and I grow through them!
- I’m not good enough – I’m unique and valuable, just the way I am.
- My partner is a complete idiot – He is also allowed to make mistakes.
Maybe there’s something here for you. If not, see how you could formulate your personal sentences to start feeding your chick nice and plump 😉
