Mindset Blog
Accentuate the Positive
How badly do you want your life to change and improve? How much have you studied up on self-help, personal development and success? How many articles and publications have you read? While research, thought and planning are important tools on your path to success, they are not the only weapons in your arsenal and in fact might even be hindering your success if you give into the easy choice of becoming a perpetual student of success. If you read every self-help book available, then you will never become a success because there won't be any time left to act upon the advice those publications offer. While it is good to listen to advice, eventually you are going to have to take action and that can't be done while reading. Our every thought either takes us toward our goals and desires or away from those goals and desires. Therefore, every thought has a positive or negative effect on the direction of our lives.
How badly do you want your life to change and improve? How much have you studied up on self-help, personal development and success? How many articles and publications have you read? While research, thought and planning are important tools on your path to success, they are not the only weapons in your arsenal and in fact might even be hindering your success if you give into the easy choice of becoming a perpetual student of success. If you read every self-help book available, then you will never become a success because there won't be any time left to act upon the advice those publications offer. While it is good to listen to advice, eventually you are going to have to take action and that can't be done while reading. Our every thought either takes us toward our goals and desires or away from those goals and desires. Therefore, every thought has a positive or negative effect on the direction of our lives.
Compare your brain to a computer. If a new PC is loaded up with virus contaminated programs, would you expect it to run smoothly? Of course not, because you get out of the computer exactly what you put in, as my former computer programming teacher always said "garbage in, garbage out" and your brain is exactly the same.
Your every thought determines the direction of your life. If you are moving backward then take time to analyze your thoughts. Make a determined effort to recognize negative thoughts and treat them as your worst enemy. Try not to dwell on them. Putty can be molded into any shape or form and so, too, your life can be shaped and your destiny set by your thoughts.
If you find yourself weighed down by a lot of negative thoughts find a way to let them out. If you have a considerate, nonjudgmental friend who is willing to listen, then vent. Pets are great sympathetic listeners. You can also use a journal to vent your negative thoughts. A good friend of mine recently went through a very difficult time, professionally and personally, and while she did a fair amount of crying on the shoulders of her loved ones she found it counterproductive because they were too sympathetic and that sympathy would often only emphasize her sense that she'd been wronged. She needed to find a way to break that cycle so she could move on. She wrote out her frustration and anger and then held a symbolic burning party. I haven't tried her method myself but am holding it in reserve for future tough times.
Remember, the potential for change is the same for everyone. It only takes acceptance of the idea that change is possible coupled with the determination to follow through. It's not always easy to control our thoughts, but certainly not impossible, and the rewards can last a lifetime.
There are many books on the subject of self-help, but remember, you must take action to succeed. Your thoughts will not change simple by reading an article or book. You must apply what you learn to your everyday affairs. Allow what you read to awaken the possibility of change within you, then take action.
One of the most beneficial practices for positive thinking is to look for the "good" in everyone and everything. Remember to encourage others everyday by a kind word or deed and be ready to offer (or receive) compliments.
Find opportunities to put the power of your positive thinking to work. For example, you might be standing in a long line at the supermarket checkout. Rather than get upset, do your utmost to help out and encourage others with a kind word or compliment. You will be surprised at the positive reaction and at how many people will bless you with a wonderful smile in return.
Taking the time to notice others and look for the "good" in every situation will not only lift your spirits, but will brighten the day for everyone around you - it's a win-win situation to be sure. There are a 1001 ways to look for the good in others, be they family, friends or those you may only meet once. So, get the lead-out, get rid of those negative thoughts and become a winner.
Begin today to change your thought patterns one step at a time. Set yourself a goal for the week or month and devote full attention to controlling your thoughts. Start with at least one hour each day and increase the time as your confidence and thinking improve. It is a habit that needs nurturing and a habit you'll come to cherish.
If you accentuate the positives in your life and concentrate on making more positive changes, then there will be no stopping you on your road to success.
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How to Train the Mind on Positive Thinking
1. Start the day with cheers and smiles.
Your whole day depends on how you greet the morning. Therefore, as long as you welcome it with energy and high spirits, everything will go okay. You don’t want the rest of the day to get ruined, do you? Come on, smile! It doesn’t cost anything but is worth everything.
2. Ask for guidance.
Only God knows what we will be having on the day ahead of us. He will surely appreciate a few minutes of praying and asking for guidance from Him. Also, have faith on Him that He is more than willing to grant our requests as long as it is for our own good. With God as our guide, we don’t have any reason not to say and believe in the thought that I can do this. I can make it through this day. Nothing is impossible. After all, God is with me.
3. Plan the day ahead.
To avoid mistakes that will cause negative output on your daily activities that will later on become negative thoughts, it is better to plan your work first; after which, work your plan. Make sure today's goals are clearly defined and absorbed by your mind. This can be done even before you get out of bed each day, just so immediate addressing issues as they arise can be avoided.
4. Keep your mind focused on important things.
Set goals and priorities for what you think and do. Visualize practicing your actions. Develop a strategy for dealing with problems. Concentrate on things that need to be taken seriously, but at the same time, take time to relax and enjoy. This way, favorable results may take place.
5. Be detached from the outcome.
They say that life is like a Ferris Wheel; sometimes, you’re on the top, and sometimes at the bottom. This means that there will be times in our lives where some things would not turn out according to what we want them to be. Don't be annoyed if you don't get what you desire. However, do your best in everything you do. Only, don’t get too attached on the probable results that may only cause disappointments and upsets.
6. Try new things and challenges.
See learning and changes as opportunities. There’s nothing wrong in changing attitudes and routines as long as they are for the good and improvement of who you are and what you do. Doing new things may include considering more options for a project, meeting new people from different places, asking lots of questions. Through this, the flow of thinking is directed to improvement and negative thoughts will be easily eradicated.
7. Balance your desires.
We live in a place of opposites and duality – gain and loss, pleasure and pain, light and dark, male and female, love and hate. This is how the cycle of life goes. We can never have all the good things in life at the same time. In love, there will always be someone who gets hurt. In wealth, there will always be people who will not be fortunate enough. Measure and moderation is the primary key.
8. Be realistic.
Make sure that what you want is something possible. Hoping for something to happen which would never really materialize in real life will only bring you disappointment. For instance, you wish to lose weight. Therefore, you have to set a goal and act on appropriate measures within a period of time to achieve what you wish. Hey, No one can get slimmer overnight.
9. Keep track of your mental and physical health.
This way, you will know how far you can keep believing.
Know yourself. There is no other person in the world who can tell who you really are. Know your passions, favorites, and principles. Spend some quality time by yourself – reading, listening to music, day dreaming, and the likes. If you know yourself completely, you will be aware of how far can you go physically, mentally, and emotionally.
10. Love yourself.
Before you expect for other people to love and adore you, it is always you who needs to love yourself first. Make a positive commitment to yourself, to learning, work, family, friends, nature, and other worthwhile causes. Praise yourself as much as you praise others once in a while. When you start feeling confident about yourself, positive thoughts will naturally flow to your mind.
11. Laugh.
Enjoy. Have fun. Looking at the brighter side of life starts with entertainment and pleasure. Laughter is the best medicine, so they say. Whether your illness is physical or emotional, a few laughs and giggles can help you throw away heavy baggage such as anxiety, disappointment, or nervousness.
12. Keep a list of your goals and actions.
Familiarize yourself with things you want to accomplish and with the ways you must undertake to complete them. By the time you are certain of what you want to do and carry out in your life, a stronger mind and will power will exist within you.
13. Associate with positive people.
In every classroom, work place, or simply anywhere you go where there are groups of people, look for optimistic ones. There are lots of them, I’m sure. Associate with them, hang-out, discuss matters. They can help you build self-confidence and self-esteem.
14. Make it a habit to ask questions.
This is not equal to dumbness and ignorance; rather, it is associated with seeking more information and understanding matters clearly. With more knowledge, there is also more power.
15. Be open.
We have to accept the fact that we don’t know everything. And that we are continuously learning in every place we go, with every people we meet as everyday passes. We should not close our minds to new ideas and information that comes our way. Our mind is so spacious that it is impossible to fill it up completely. Thus, we should accept worthy things that may help us become better and brighter persons.
16. Have trust in other people.
Although it may seem difficult and risky to give trust to just any people, when you believe in them or confident on what they are doing for you, doubts and negative judgments on them will be unnecessary. Also, it will bring harmonious relationships between you and your colleagues.
17. Forgive and forget.
Mistakes and failures are the root causes of negative thinking. If we somehow learn to let go of all the pain, agony, and fear we try to keep inside our hearts and minds, then there will be nothing more to block our clear thoughts from being expressed. Forgive yourself for committing mistakes and forget these mistakes.
18. Learn from experiences.
Learning inside the classroom is different from learning outside it. In school, one learns the lesson first before taking an exam; while in real life, one takes the test first before learning the lesson. This test in the real life is our experiences. If we failed in that test, i.e. the experience is not so good, we study the situation and learn the lesson. From here, we can avoid committing the same mistake twice.
19. Count your blessings.
Focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have. Absence of our desires will only bring discontentment and disappointment that will only waste our time. Instead, be thankful and appreciative with all the blessings we receive.
20. Kiss your worries goodbye.
At the end of everyday, before going to sleep, there is no need to keep bad experiences and unhappy moments that had happened in the day within you. Let them go, throw them out of the window and kiss them goodbye. Dream sweetly. As a new day unfolds, new hope arises. Keep believing. Always have faith.
If you have tried any type of brain training games you will know that they can leave you feeling pumped up and excited. This is because you have started to use your brain again. Your brain is huge and has untold capabilities and needs to be put to use each and every day.
This is almost the same type of feeling you get when you start a new exercise program. The exercise might be challenging, but afterwards you feel a renewed sense of energy and just feel great. It is hard to put your finger on the reason why.
Your brain really does need to be stimulated on a daily basis and this is where using brain games comes in extremely handy. It is a sad fact that as we age we start to do less. This includes not doing those jigsaw puzzles that we loved to do with our kids. It might be not cooking as often or not sewing or knitting the way you used to.
What happens is as you use your brain less, you start to feel less in control of your thoughts and emotions. You can't remember names as well as you used to, those recipes elude you and your focus just isn't what it once was.
The good news is, these things don't have to stay the same and this includes your energy levels. Your energy levels also pertain to your bodily functions as well. It is not just your brain that needs energy, your entire body does too.
The minute you start exercising more often your brain also receives a boost. You feel more energized, refreshed and renewed. This also makes you feel more alive, younger and ready to take on the world.
You definitely don't want to take your body or your mind for granted. They both need stimulating on a regular basis. When it comes to your body you can easily just go for a walk, take a yoga class or go swimming. Your brain, on the other hand, may need a little more encouragement.
This is done by playing brain games that tackle and challenge your mind. These games include word games, math games, audio and visual types of games. The great thing about brain games is that they are fun to play, and can be played on your computer, laptop or mobile device. If you have been feeling sluggish lately then why not try out some of the online brain training websites and see if they make a difference for you.
Brain Training Can Improve Your Energy Levels
How Brain Power and Focus Make You Happier and Luckier
It is common in self-help literature to hear that being more confident, believing in yourself, and regularly thinking positive thoughts can all help you to feel happier and to even influence your life in a positive way.
But here’s another factor you might not have considered: brain power. Did you know that mental focus, creativity, sharpness, and more can help to make you happier and even luckier?
Those who are more positive and happy tend to notice opportunities more because they are less stressed. But by the same token you could notice even more opportunities by being more alert and switched on.
Likewise, effective use of CBT requires mental discipline which in turn needs energy and focus. The last section on health will deal with this to an extent but on top of this you also need to ensure your brain is just loaded with energy and that it's functioning better. If you're groggy and easily distracted you won't be able to exert the necessary discipline to change those negative thoughts.
So how do you boost your brain power?
A Quick Guide to Upgrading Your Brain
One way to quickly upgrade your brain is to give it more energy. We've seen how sleep can help with this but you can also do it through the right diet and supplementation. Omega 3 fatty acids for instance help to improve brain cell permeability which in turn aids rapid communication and thus brain power. Similarly, studies have shown that creatine – a supplement that athletes use to increase cellular energy – is capable of improving focus and IQ.
Brain training 'games' haven't been conclusively shown to work with the exception of the 'Dual N-Back' test which can increase 'working memory' and thus pattern recognition – critical for seeing and noticing those opportunities.
Most important of all though is to learn how to get into a 'flow state' which is that mental state where everything just seems effortless. In this situation your brain floods itself with the neurotransmitters dopamine, anandamide and norepinephrine which work together to further enhance pattern recognition, reflexes, attention and creativity.
How to trigger these flow states? You convince your brain that what you are doing is hugely important. And you can achieve this through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (which you now understand) as well as by simply being highly passionate about what you do – by loving your job and your partner. People who love what they do are happier, more focused and much happier.
