Have you ever thought
about your thoughts? Did you know that you have up to 50 000 thoughts a day, that’s a thought
about every 17 seconds. So by the time you are half way through this article
you are due for another one.
If you were to broadcast the thoughts you say to yourself would the theme be positive of negative? In the past I was guilty of leaning towards the negative, and in fact on average it is said that for most of us 70% -80% of what we think throughout our day is negative. So don’t feel bad if this is the case for you. After all you have been conditioned to think this way.
Society likes to make us feel that we are not enough or that we don’t have enough. They teach us that we should fear others. Watch just one hour of the news to see this in action. Most of what we see on a daily basis is negative, so no wonder we are thinking negative about ourselves and the world.
To add to that sadly most of us give ourselves a hard time about past mistakes or regrets, hold onto grudges, judge others, and in general are our own worst critic. I have been guilty of this too. For example before writing this blog post I was thinking “I should have wrote this sooner…why did I wait so long?” But because I am aware that this thought does not serve me I also said to myself “well better late then never, and you have been very busy and are trying your best.”
So why does it matter what we think? Why does it matter what words we choose when speaking to ourselves and others?
What if I told you that these negative thoughts and words
have a direct impact on a physical level. Science has proven that thoughts are
things and are very powerful. Dr. Emoto, is a scientist in particular who
studied the effects of words, thoughts and intentions on water. He took pictures of frozen
water crystals under a microscope after he had put different words thoughts and intentions towards the water. The ones that were labelled and sent kind words such as "LOVE" and "PEACE" were beautiful and symmetrical, while the ones that were labelled with negative words such as "HATE" were very dis-organised and ugly. Since we are 60% water you can see
how this must effect us on the same level in some way.
I realize it’s not realistic to say “just don’t think
negative thoughts"….it’s human nature and it’s a habit. Because it’s a habit it
takes conscious effort and practice to cultivate a more positive thought
pattern.
If you feel that you would like to start this process for yourself I
have good news for you. You can start right now and it’s simple. It’s simple,
but it’s not easy.
Here are 5 ways to get started on the path of cultivating
positive thought patterns.
- The 3 R’s Realize..Replace..Repeat-Again and again…until it becomes your new habit. After you are aware of the thoughts, the next step is to realize that you feel better when you have more positive thoughts, which will reinforce your practice of repeatedly replacing negative thoughts with more loving ones.
- Meditate- I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Meditation helps to quiet the mind and centers you so that you become more aware of your inner self. When you become connected to your true self you begin to see the power of a quiet mind instead of a busy toxic mind. Not only will you think more kind thoughts, but it will help you appreciate the power of the moment and help you relax. It’s all goodJ If you want to learn more about how I began the process of meditation the link is below. http://inspiremelifecoach.blogspot.ca/2014/02/i-did-it-21-days-and-counting-i-am.html
- Surround yourself with positive people and a inspired environment- Start to notice what people and things depleat your energy and send you in a negative spiral compared to the ones that leave you feeling at ease and in flow. It's much easier to cultivate a kinder healthier thought pattern when you are surrounded by energies that are supportive and uplifting. This includes as I said your environment. I know we can't always control our environment but there are a few ways we can enhance a positive environment. Music is a good way to develop a feel good spirit, as well as inspiring quotes on your wall as a reminder, or getting outdoors in the fresh air usually puts things in perspective.
At the end of the day our thoughts are a conversation with ourselves.
The longest conversation you are ever going to have is the one you have with yourself, so make sure it is a good one.
As a last note I will leave you with words of wisdom from amazing souls who practice what they preach and are living proof that are thoughts have power.
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.