"Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale
To make
any positive change in our life, we need to change our thoughts. However changing our
habitual thought patterns might not feel easy and it can seem like we are
trying to change the habit of a lifetime (which we often are). This issue is
something that often comes up for life coaching clients as they set about making changes to how they approach their lives - it’s a natural part of the process.
Wayne Dyer says: “You will see it when you believe it.”
Wayne Dyer says: “You will see it when you believe it.”
This is true whether we think negatively or
positively. What we believe becomes true for us. If we are having a bad day and think everyone is out to get us... lo and behold; look what we find! Conversely when we focus on the positive and how kind people are, more of them seem to show up in our lives! When our thoughts are further ingrained into beliefs about the world and how things are, we also attract experiences in line with them and these are important to change also. We find what we look for, so rather
than looking for the negative, let’s learn to look for the positive and change
the way we think about and see the world around us.
I will share some of the tools that have made a
difference to my coaching clients and in my own life.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a popular word at the moment and rightly so; practicing mindfulness has been shown to have many health benefits and can help us to iron out some of the kinks and habitual ways of thinking we have developed that don't serve us. Simply put; it is about seeing reality as it is rather than through the lens of our chattering mind, thoughts and beliefs. Practicing mindfulness is a great foundation for changing our thoughts as it helps us to do a spring clean on our minds. If you imagine your mind as a window, if it is smeared with negative thoughts and beliefs you will see the world in a certain way - mindfulness meditation helps to clean that window so you can see more clearly and is a great foundation for helping you to think more in line with your true nature - positively.
Positive Affirmations
A positive thought and a negative thought are both affirmations. When we think anything, we are affirming that it is true, which is why it is so important to be clear about what you are thinking and ensuring it is what you want to create in your life. Gently catch yourself when you find yourself thinking negatively and turn the thought around. For example, if you found yourself thinking "Nothing ever goes my way", you could turn the thought around to "I prosper wherever I turn, things are working out for my highest good".
Change Your Body
Our minds and our bodies are linked. If you find yourself thinking the same old patterns, get yourself moving to change your mind and body chemistry! As Dr David Hamilton shared in "I Can Do It" London 2012, do a silly dance when you catch yourself thinking those fearful thoughts. It's hard to keep thinking those negative thoughts when doing some crazy dancing!
Patience
Mindfulness is a popular word at the moment and rightly so; practicing mindfulness has been shown to have many health benefits and can help us to iron out some of the kinks and habitual ways of thinking we have developed that don't serve us. Simply put; it is about seeing reality as it is rather than through the lens of our chattering mind, thoughts and beliefs. Practicing mindfulness is a great foundation for changing our thoughts as it helps us to do a spring clean on our minds. If you imagine your mind as a window, if it is smeared with negative thoughts and beliefs you will see the world in a certain way - mindfulness meditation helps to clean that window so you can see more clearly and is a great foundation for helping you to think more in line with your true nature - positively.
Positive Affirmations
A positive thought and a negative thought are both affirmations. When we think anything, we are affirming that it is true, which is why it is so important to be clear about what you are thinking and ensuring it is what you want to create in your life. Gently catch yourself when you find yourself thinking negatively and turn the thought around. For example, if you found yourself thinking "Nothing ever goes my way", you could turn the thought around to "I prosper wherever I turn, things are working out for my highest good".
Change Your Body
Our minds and our bodies are linked. If you find yourself thinking the same old patterns, get yourself moving to change your mind and body chemistry! As Dr David Hamilton shared in "I Can Do It" London 2012, do a silly dance when you catch yourself thinking those fearful thoughts. It's hard to keep thinking those negative thoughts when doing some crazy dancing!
Patience
Changing your thoughts isn't an overnight thing;
it takes time and patience and the willingness to keep practicing and be
patient and gentle with yourself. Our mind will be with us till the day we die
so its about making friends with it and ourselves and learning to focus
on the positive and being willing to transform negative thoughts and patterns
into positive ones. Affirmations like "I find it easy to make
positive changes" are a good way to change that thought to a positive and
view change as a positive and easy thing to do.
by Jon Kabat Zinn
The Mindful Manifesto: How Doing Less and Noticing More Can Help Us Thrive in a Stressed-Out World
by Dr Jonty Heaversedge and Ed Halliwell
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
by Mark Williams
You Can Heal Your Life
by Louise Hay
Photo by I.. C.. U via Flickr, with thanks
Recommended reading:
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illnessby Jon Kabat ZinnThe Mindful Manifesto: How Doing Less and Noticing More Can Help Us Thrive in a Stressed-Out World
by Dr Jonty Heaversedge and Ed Halliwellby Mark WilliamsYou Can Heal Your Life
by Louise HayPhoto by I.. C.. U via Flickr, with thanks
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