Ever wonder why some people are almost never negative, somehow finding a way to remain patient, optimistic, and positive in the midst of even the WORST circumstances?
Or why others are the exact opposite, having a sour outlook on life with a “doom and gloom” attitude?
Well, believe it or not it all boils down to ONE thing:
Your thoughts.
According to Dr. Caroline Leaf, an expert in the field on brain neurology, 75% to 95% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life.
The average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day and each thought we have affects us physically and emotionally.
Research shows that through an uncontrolled thought life, we can create the conditions for illness and literally make ourselves sick. For example, fear, all on its own, triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones.
Of course, we are all going to feel particular emotions from time to time, and certain thoughts will creep in to even the most positive person’s mind.
But it’s what you do with those thoughts that’s the difference between living a positive, happy life, and a negative, miserable one.
So how can we be fully in control of our thoughts to ensure we are part of the first group (positive, and happy), not the latter?
First, be grateful. When you keep in mind that 2/3 of the world woke up today without fresh water, a toilet to flush, or a light to turn on it’s pretty easy to see how blessed we all are.
Furthermore, published studies across multiple ages, genders, and ethnicities shows that people who are grateful have an increased sense of well-being, better sleep, more willingness to accept change, and even have lower symptoms of pain.
Take time every day, even if it’s just a few minutes, to express gratitude by using a gratitude journal, praying, or simply counting your blessings. This one thing alone will have an incredible impact on your thought life.
Second, serve and help others by giving back of your time, energy, talents, and financial resources. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the good you make happen for others will be given back to you ten-fold.
Look no further than life’s instruction manual; the Bible.
Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together, and running over…the amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
In other words, the greatest exercise you can perform is to reach down and lift somebody else up. This will plant positive seeds of optimism and hope in your life to create a healthier thought life.
Third, surround yourself with positive people who support your dreams, goals, and desires. It’s a simple philosophy; you become the sum of the five people you spend the most time with.
If you spend the majority of your time with pessimistic, negative people, you and your own thoughts will follow suit. Conversely, when you spend time with people who are a positive influence in your life, you’ll have a flourishing thought life.
Consider for a moment your thoughts as a seed. Some thoughts become flowers. Others become weeds. When you sow seeds of doubt with negative thoughts you can expect insecurity, frustration, and fear.
When you sow seeds of hope with positive thoughts you can enjoy the fruits of better health and increased happiness.
In other words, what you focus on expands exponentially in your life. If you think in negative terms, you will likely find yourself unhappy, unhealthy, and unsuccessful. After all, how can anything “good” happen to someone who is always complaining and viewing their life as a victim?
Instead, if you make a choice to think positive and be positive through every circumstance, then you will be much more likely to find happiness, thrive, and succeed.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts
run your life.”
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
According to authors and experts, by the time your life is over you will have spent six months at stoplights, eight months opening junk mail, an entire year and a half looking for lost stuff, a whopping five years standing in lines, and who knows how many years in the bathroom.
It’s during these times that you have a very important choice to make… the choice to think about what you’re thinking about.
Bottom line: none of us are immune to criticisms, trials and adversities in our lives, but it’s MUCH easier to overcome these challenges when you choose a positive thought life.
When you think positive thoughts instead of seeing scarcity, you’ll see abundance. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, you’ll start focusing on what’s right. Instead of seeing the glass half empty, you’ll see the glass half full. Instead of taking things like basic living needs for granted, you’ll start focusing on gratitude.
Throughout history great wise men, teachers, philosophers, and prophets have disagreed with one another on many different things. It is only on this one point that they are in complete and unanimous agreement — the key to success and the key to failure is this: you become that which you think about most of the time.
It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
