Little reminder I keep when I'm feeling low, anxious, stressed. I try to make a game out of it. Power of thought is so provoking to me. ?
Thoughts? ?
When a negative thought enters my mind, I evaluate it, I don't ignore it, it might be important.
Huh. What an odd experiment. I don’t really distinguish between “positive” or “negative” when it comes to my thoughts; if something affects me I might consider why I’m affected, but adding categories (where one is seen as more ideal than the other), and having a preference for a specific category, is kinda alien to me.
Things just...are. Actively striving for the “positive” over the “negative” would weaken my already meager grasp on how things are.
Besides, none of this would have any real validity outside of my mind, so it would grow entirely from personal biases and would, as such, be inherently flawed and without much value—if any.
...my head hurts. Consciousness is, altogether, negative.
@UKGuy - "When a negative thought enters my mind, I evaluate it, I don't ignore it, it might be important."
Yeah. I was very PollyAnnish when I was younger and didn't pay attention when I got "negative" ideas about someone or some situation. As a result, I got myself into some bad situations and learned the hard way that if one has a bad feeling about someone or some thing, look at why that is.
On the other hand, I can also get pretty stuck in negativity at times. Denying how we really feel doesn't work too well, neither does staying stuck in negativity. Being able to put things into their proper context helps a lot. WHY am I stuck in this? What is it I need to pay attention to? Sometimes it really is just a matter of shifting focus.
@hogboblin - "Things just...are. Actively striving for the “positive” over the “negative” would weaken my already meager grasp on how things are."
I think it is the Diamond Sutra that states, "To have an opinion for or against is a disease of the mind."
[Nope, it is the Verses on the Faith Mind by Chien-chih Seng-ts'an]
I don't completely buy that but I understand the point.
I don't go too much for one-size-fits-all simplistic answers. Life is too complex. And, frankly, putting forth such an idea to someone who has just been diagnosed with terminal disease, who has just experienced the death of a child or barely survived the horrors of war is insensitive and incredibly ignorant.
Am I being negative? I've heard that research has shown optimists are happier but pessimists are more realistic. It appears the research is inconclusive and that both biases have advantages and disadvantages. I think the key word there is bias. I would prefer to minimize them in my life.
https://www.medicaldaily.com/optimism-vs-pessimism-which-better-your-health-and-longevity-278858
I accept the negative and embrace it as though it were a positive. All about the yin and yang of life. Good and evil, right and wrong. It all has a place in our makeup and we draw strength and learn from it all. However i also am a big proponent of positive self talk, which is a vital part to not allowing yourself to be overtaken by the dark things in life. Your monsters will always be there, just a matter of how far out you allow them to be before swatting them back under the bed...
@pmvines - i also am a big proponent of positive self talk, which is a vital part to not allowing yourself to be overtaken by the dark things in life."
I can get on board with that. Other ways of getting out of being stuck in a dark place - for me, exercise, being outdoors, being with nice people.
Reality is all in the mind. Accept that the thought has entered your mind, understand where it came from, and let it go. I would say though that instead of thinking of any three positive thoughts, rewrite the negative thought to spin it positively. It really is all about training your brain to see the positivity (or at least the significance) in all situations.
A lot of times I laugh at negative things that happen. There is often a funny side to them. For instance when I get stuck in traffic, I think of the scene in "Office Space" when the guy with the walker ends up ahead of the cars in the traffic jam.
@UKGuy I love that movie lol
It seems like the op is referring to the self depricative thoughts specifically. In that sense then I agree. I tend to have that built into my humor and I do embrace my flaws which is why I can joke about it, but I do have to remind myself of the ways that I can be pretty awesome too. A bit nondescript to categorize as positive and negative if that is the case, but I could just be reading way to into this. Gotta boil that ocean! ?
Focus on what that "negative" is about - does it affect me directly, can I alter, change or avoid it? Does it touch my sphere of influence? IF yes, can I mitigate it? No? who cares...
All things in life are - a negative is how you perceive it, if you don't consider them "negatives" but challenges, then recycle the thought process above - somethings just happen to or around you, nothing you can do. Other things include you, but you can approach them differently, avoid them, solve them, etc... but more often than not, you are creating something that exists in the universe and letting it become "negative" based on your thoughts/approach/interpretation of the thing.
I think this is a lot of what @MissAdventurous was trying to say with her post - YOU decide how to interpret something coming your way, don't let the thing decide and affect you - at least how I read it. It's all about perception and choice.
I challenge myself to verify situations with my gut and soothe my ego with self talk. To gird my mind with such strength and conviction I don't need human validation for anything. I can cry on my own shoulder. I can reassure myself with my own positive affirmations. I can hug and cuddle myself with my own humerus massage. I can talk to myself and anywhere without the fear and angst of being shamed and condescended to like I'm the earth's latest scum. I challenge myself to keep smiling, keep talking keep being me without needing another human being for cheer and care.
Something to apply while we are stuck inside 💜🌷🌺🌷
