Three Tips to Help You Think More Positively

I know. It's hard sometimes. Trust me, I get it and I'm right there with ya sister! Thinking positively is not always easy. At first it becomes another task. Then once you get a process down pat, the crappy negative thoughts still seem to creep in. But here's the deal. We are part Ego and the negative will always be there. BUT there are ways to effectively handle them and move through a more "thoughtful" (pun intended) thought process. Because at the end of the day, it is our thoughts that are creating our reality and if we want to live a better life, we have to think better - we must change our minds consciously. Change your thinking and change your life. It's inevitable.

There are three specific mental exercises that I use when I need help thinking positively.

1. When a negative thought comes to mind, I picture a huge metal slab moving through my mind pushing everything in its path out of my consciousness. From left to right, I can see the slab bulldozing the thoughts right out of my mind.

2. Another way is to shout at the thought mentally, "OUT!" Then see the thought flee away. This is Louise Hay's preferred method of changing thoughts from negative to positive. (Louise Hay is the founder of Hay House Publishing; an international leader in Spiritual and Personal Development literature.)

3. Lastly, as soon as I become aware of my negative thoughts I simply and consciously change my point of focus on to something else. I choose a positive thought and start thinking about it, leaving the negative story in the dust. Usually the new thought is the opposite or an improved made up version of what I was just thinking, or it's something completely different that I am in the process of manifesting.

TIP: Combine the last method (#3) with the first two methods.

Even when I am at my most balanced (mind, body, soul) those negative thoughts creep in. BUT I will say that they don't stick around as long. They come in my mind, are caught quickly, and are simply dismissed using one or more of these methods.

What do you do when those pesky negative thoughts creep in?

Do you have any mental tricks up your sleeve?

How often are you consciously catching yourself thinking negatively, and then switching your thoughts to something more positive?

I can't wait to hear what you do!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Three-Tips-to-Help-You-Think-More-Positively&id=9471184

When One Chapter Ends, Begin Your Next Chapter Knowing This: You’re Not a Sloth

I can remember visiting the La Brea Tar Pits in California as a child and thinking how sad for those poor creatures many years ago caught in the muck. They simply were going about their business and were halted by a thick stew of asphalt. From what I hear, it wasn’t a quick process either. The Smithsonian recently shared new research that revealed it took months for the trapped victims to sink into the depths of the earth. Not a pretty image. Thankfully we humans don’t ever have to feel stuck like those animals who didn’t have a choice in the matter.

I share this with you not to be morose—but to be real. How many times have you felt stuck? I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think of all the times in my younger years when I held myself back, when I came up with excuses to support the notion of “I can’t.”

Hmm… not exactly the stuff of a successful life, is it? The good news is that we are free. We get to decide where to live, which school to attend, our work, who we marry, to have a family or not. And if that isn’t exciting enough, we can change our minds. We can move, change careers, drop out or go back to school, and leave an unhappy relationship. We can reinvent ourselves.

I am 49 years old, and I have changed it up quite a few times now. I returned to school to be a teacher after being a stay-at-home mom for 11 years; then I moved across the country and left teaching after seven years to pursue a career in writing and social media.

What a ride it has been—and I am having the time of my life, enjoying this current chapter. When I think back, however, all of the past chapters had good things about them, too. When they stopped being what I wanted, I moved on. I started a new chapter. I reinvented myself.

I know a lot of people who are not happy in their current career situations. They think they have put too many years into it and so they are waiting it out to retire. The younger ones? They live for the weekend and their vacation time.

I can empathize. Change can be scary. Most of us need a sense of safety and security and will often choose inaction rather than making the changes necessary to live more happy and productive lives. The result: being like a Harlan’s Ground Sloth that got itself trapped in the La Brea pits tens of thousands of years ago. Now, who wants to be a sloth stuck in muck?

Here are five “excavation tools” to help you dig around the obstacles you have created and unveil the life artifacts that are part of the new chapter awaiting you:

1. Get clear on what you really want.

Don’t focus on the things you are unhappy with or what you are scared of. Those are temporary and irrelevant conditions. Write in your journal, talk to someone you trust, read empowering stories about real people who overcame their fears and obstacles (SUCCESS.com is a good place to start!).

2. How can you get there?

Map out a plan. It really helps to write out goals and break them down into baby steps so that you do not get overwhelmed. Take that first step first.

3. Get some serious leverage on yourself.

I attended a Tony Robbins Unleash the Power Within seminar back in October 2008. One of the most memorable and powerful things that I got out of that weekend is when Tony described a client he was helping to quit smoking, how he forced the guy to smoke cigarette after cigarette in an enclosed room. After a time, this poor man got sick and quit smoking for good—the memory of how bad he felt then outweighed pleasant associations he had with his smoking habit. Leverage. If you stay where you are, how will you feel? Do you like the picture of where you will be five years from now? Ten years? What will people be saying at your funeral? You have to get some leverage! Now, if you make some changes and envision your new life, how will that feel?

4. Act as if.

I believe in faking it till we make it. It is all about attitude. Some years ago, I declared myself to be a writer even though I had not gotten anything published yet. Know your truth (tool #1 will help) and then act as if it is happening now. The world will be onto you soon enough and accept it, so long as that is what you are confidently living and experiencing for yourself.     

5. Take action.

You may not have everything figured out before you take the leap. I know I didn’t whenever I made big changes happen in my life. I just believed in what I was doing—I had faith. I knew I was going to land some place good, and I never looked back.

It’s not over until it’s over. Your life is not a single essay like this post. You have lived many chapters and many new ones are waiting to get started. I am so excited for you.

Now, what are you waiting for?   

http://www.success.com/blog/when-one-chapter-ends-begin-your-next-chapter-knowing-this-youre-not-a-sloth

Sick Of Flaking Out? How To Start Keeping Your Word

   

You make plans to meet with a friend and then find yourself thinking, Meh, I don't really feel like it. She won't mind if I cancel at the last moment. She's your "friend," after all. So she'll forgive you. It's no big deal, right?

You sign up for a training seminar and then find yourself thinking, What a drag. I'd just rather skip it. You cancel three days before and ask for a refund. You rationalize your decision by reasoning that maybe it just wasn't "meant to be."

You promise to take your kid to the playground, but then realize, Wow it's a little chilly. Plus I've got tons of emails to answer, and he'd be just as happy watching TV.

If you can see yourself mirrored in any of those scenarios, you might be feeling a little icky right now. Not to be overly harsh, but your reaction of "ickiness" is a good thing.

Put simply, flakiness is not an OK habit to make for yourself — and it's not consequence-free, neither for yourself nor for others.

Failing to honor promises degrades relationships, creates a reputation of unreliability, sets a poor example for children (and grown-ups!), is harmful for business owners, and will most likely lead you to feel badly about yourself and your seeming inability to keep your word.

Yes, of course, we're all allowed to change our minds in life, for situations big and small alike. We may need to reschedule an appointment because a meeting at work came up, or cancel on a friend because we've had a bad day. Extenuating circumstances arise for everyone. But that's just it: situations in which you have to cancel are not, and should not be, the norm.

If you feel like you're consistently unreliable — breaking promises you've made to others, or to yourself, on a near-daily basis — it's important to understand why that's happening, so that you can start forming some new habits.

You might want to start with one question. The next time you feel tempted to "flake out" on yourself, or somebody else, ask,WHY do I want to cancel / reschedule / not go / not show up / flake out?

Then ask yourself some tough, but very necessary follow up questions. Is it because …

1. … You feel scared?

If it's three days before a professional training seminar that you willingly signed up for — and suddenly, you are filled with fearful thoughts.

• What if I'm the most under-qualified person in the room?
• What if people judge me because I've gained weight this year?
• What if … what if … what if …?

In these cases, your desire to avoid is most likely motivated by fear. Specifically, you fear what other people might think.

This is totally normal, but realize what you are doing, and I guarantee you that your thoughts will change, at least somewhat. Ask yourself: Am I going to be the kind of person who lets fear drive my decisions?

No, you are not. Do what you need to do to deal with the fear — write, stomp, run, scream into a pillow, punch a punching bag, laugh, cry, whatever it takes — and show up, anyway.

2. … You feel exhausted?

If you promised you'd meet a friend for dinner at 6 pm, and it's 4 pm and you feel like you're about to fall asleep at your desk because you're genuinely exhausted, it might be tempting to cancel the whole thing.

Try not to, unless you absolutely must.

Instead, turn this moment into a self-care opportunity. Take a short nap, stretch, drink some cool water, or take a brisk walk to revive yourself.

Use this as an opportunity to own up to your choices, too. Tell your friend, "I can't wait to see you, but I'd like to do something quiet and relaxing and make this an early night. I am very tired because I haven't been taking very good care of myself. I am sorry that my tiredness is cutting into our time together. I am learning to take better care of myself." Your friend will appreciate your honesty, and you won't be left with the icky feeling that almost always arises after canceling a plan last-minute.

3. … You feel resentful?

If you agreed to volunteer at a fundraiser — when you really didn't want to — and now you're feeling bitter and resentful,it's no wonder you want to flake out.

But … don't. Show up. It's as simple as that.

Tell yourself: This is a lesson for me. Saying 'yes' when I really want to say 'no' doesn't feel good. I'm going to honor this commitment, because it's the right thing to do, but I'm also going to be more honest and mindful about my commitments in the future.

4. … You are having a legitimate change of heart?

If you said "Yes" to accepting a new job — but then learned some unappealing facts about your new employer's policies which color the opportunity in a completely new light — that's an appropriate reason to change your mind.

A legitimate change of heart is caused by the acquisition of new information — not by fear, exhaustion or resentment. If you are having a legitimate change of heart, and you want to change your original decision, that's not flaking out — that's a wise choice.

Change of hearts do happen, and when they do, it's important to honor them. But before you grab your phone and start texting your cancellation note, take a moment to check in with yourself. Make sure your desire to change course is being motivated by the right reasons.

We can all enjoy a world where people show up for themselves, and for each other. It starts by honoring your very next promise.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17050/sick-of-flaking-out-how-to-start-keeping-your-word.html