Switching from Negative Thinking to Positive

Florida Dream Home with open floor plan.

When my thinking goes negative, it can be difficult to shift gears. It’s like mental inertia. Thinking in motion tends to stay in motion, whether it’s revolving in a negative direction or a positive one. There’s no switch on the back of my neck to go from negative to positive. However, I have found that scripting a positive thought into my mind works a lot like a switch.

For example, if I’m anxious about a meeting or some event that’s coming up, my mind might bring up all the things that could go wrong. To change that, I handwrite affirmations like this: “I will speak well and present my ideas effectively. I will be able to handle whatever challenges this event presents to me.”

Although I’m capable of presenting well and handling challenges, I occasionally need to remind myself of that. The process is simple and it works because it engages several of the senses.

• Coming up with a positive thought to write down is the beginning of a change in direction.
• My brain instructs my hand to write that thought down.
• As the positive thought appears on paper, my eyes are observing.
• To nail the thought down more firmly, I read the thought out loud.
• My lips are moving and my ears are hearing.

Instead of trying to think myself into a new attitude, several parts of my body are working together to produce a positive thought. Also, the thought is recorded by several of my senses including sight, hearing, and even touch through the actual writing.

I’ve written about this process in Words of Destiny which is available on Kindle. If you're interested, the preview on Amazon outlines many of the key ideas. Also, if you read on Kindle, the book is set up for free download through Sunday, January 3, 2016.

For more good ideas on positive thinking, check out this excellent blog post by Kristen Lamb. Life on Purpose—What to Do When Dreams & Goals Fizzle.

If you got something out of this post,  share it with your friends. The sharing buttons are below. 

If you've found an effective way to shift from negative to positive thinking, you can leave a comment  about that.

Related articles. 

Habitual Optimism.

Murphy's New Revelation.

Positive Assumptions. 

• 11 ways to become a mentally strong person
• Our Thoughtful Choices
• 12 Mental Habits You Must Fix To Become A Better Man
• How to Shut Down Your Negative Thoughts
• Reflection versus Rumination
• Be Positive, If You Want Spark Back in Your Relationship
• How power of positive thinking works
• A doctor shares 6 research-backed ways to fend off the winter blues

Related articles