Getting negative thoughts is very common but being aware and working on overcoming it is what every one should work on diligently.What made me put on a thinking cap was a conversation I overheard of a young person in the steam room of the men’s Spa area (yes sometimes you do tend to over hear some amazing conversations). It is a fact that all of us at some point of time get negative thoughts and images. To be frank when I did decided to let go of my corporate life and move on to what I am right now, I was filled with all kinds of horrible thoughts and images. This was more so because i was leaving a job which at least had a salary at the end of the month. I did know that till I overcome these thoughts I will always be chained to my shores and I kept telling myself that the ship is not meant to be in the harbour but out at the sea. The best thing I did was to travel and head out to new places. This helped me experience new difficulties which eventually made me look at things through a clear glass. Some of these learning’s came back to me when I did hear the conversation. I am sure that there are many of them around who get bombarded by negative thoughts day in day out. Some of the things which I feel can be done to overcome negative thoughts are
1.Accept the fact that we as humans will have negative thoughts:
It is the most common thing to get negative thoughts as humans. I don’t think animals and trees will have any negative thoughts. We need to accept the fact that we will always have negative thoughts running in us and it is we who have absolute control in ensuring how we eventually deal with it in the long term. Having negative thoughts is natural, but living with it and limiting our lives is not. That is unnecessary and uncalled for.
2.Work out a realistic game plan as a solution:
Once we accept that we are overcome by negative dis-empowering thoughts then it is time to put on the action shoes and work out a realistic plan however small it might be to overcome it. Say for example you are in serious credit card debt, then work on a plan to talk to someone who can help you work out a realistic plan. The idea here is to ensure that you do take the first step in getting to your objective of working on the solution to your problem which in this case is the “negative thought process”.
3.Take action even if it is a small step forward:
No mountain was climbed without the first step and eventually in most matters taking the first step is critical and the most important. By getting into the action mode the pathways are created in your brain and it will be that much easier to dig into the ground. This even though hard at first instance will become easier when some initial marking is made and sincere effort put in.
4.Do something positive for the day:
When one, does get into doing something positive such as saying “Thank you” for someone holding the door or even allowing someone else to pass ahead of you in traffic, you will feel good about it. The only known antidote for negative thinking is replacing them with a positive thoughts. Replacing this will take effort and hence the idea of starting small is important. I have realised and experienced that by doing something to people whom you either know or at times do not know without expecting anything in return will bring in the feel good factor which is critical to the success of negating negative thoughts and beliefs.
5.Be persistent:
Eventually you are bound to fail at, replacing negative thoughts overcoming you, but with persistence you will overcome all adversity. If you are lucky there might be any number of people around you who are more than willing to help you unconditionally or you might hire the service of a Life coach who will be more than happy to work with you. Whatever the support structure you are planning nothing will matter if you do not develop a bull dog attitude of being persistent. What matters is how you replace your thoughts every time you fail. This will help you reach your objective, enjoy your journey and maybe write about it someday like i am doing right now.
6.Exercise:
Exercise helps in an immense way in shaping your thought process. By getting into a habit of regular exercise the body begins to produce more of the endorphin hormone which makes one feel good. That is why, after a strenuous workout or a run we tend to feel high and in a good way. By helping yourself and doing some kind of exercise, say going for a walk for an hour, will eventually make you at the least chemically ready to start the process of overcoming negative thoughts. The other benefits of exercise are covered in my articles dedicated to health so I will leave this at that.
Finally it is not by doing one particular thing that you can overcome negative thoughts. It is a set of things that you consistently do to ensure that however life treats you, it is the thoughts running in your head that matters the most. This is especially true in order to truly enjoy your life and do the things you always wanted to do. I feel so helpless when I see so many talented people wasting their lives, either by drowning in their own negative thoughts or worse surrounding themselves with people who are consistently negative. I feel that they are probably not aware of the other side of the fence.
As always, I write my articles with my heart on my sleeve to connect as much as possible with my readers and would really appreciate if some of you to do share your thoughts, ideas and feedback either on my mail coach@satishrao.in or on my face book fan page www.facebook.com/B.N.Satishrao.