Are you at war with your biology?
When it comes to positive thinking, the answer to this question is, Yes. It is in our nature to focus on fears, worries and doubts because that had a survival purpose back in caveman days when we lived in the elements and were tasty flesh morsels for a lot of predators.
That caveman survival wiring in our brains is over-reactive for our current lifestyles. Negative thinking is more natural than positive thinking, however it not the evolutionary direction we want to go in.
My body, my health (and survival!) are immensely valuable to me, however, I no longer allow these survival-based worries to take over my mind anymore.
The roots of survival-based negative thinking sit in our childhood when we are helplessly vulnerable.
Your brain interprets every childhood challenge as a survival threat. Then, you made up a very believable story about that “danger,” and it stuck deep in your mind, creating fears and worries you don’t even know the name.
As an adult, your worry-habituated mind needs something to worry about, so you focus on anything that might be a problem: money, spouse, height/weight ratio, etc. etc. Our peace of mind falls victim to these subconscious childhood stories; we are locked into survival thinking without even knowing it.
Positive thinking is when you dedicate and commit to creating new healthy stories, and firmly saying NO to the negative stories.
Where ever the stories came from, it matters less than what we want and how we want to feel NOW.
Every time you indulge in negative thinking, the underlying belief system gets stronger, the physical wiring gets more and more locked in to hold you back. To have peace of mind and the life you want you must train your mind to stay positive. Start Now!
There IS a Role for Drama in your Life!
Your subconscious mind pays sharp attention to drama…think tiger jumping out of the grass! Our cavewoman minds locks in drama moments and you can use this to your advantage!
Train yourself to notice your negative thinking then create a dramatic shift to a positive thought.
Stop your negative thought process in its tracks, don’t let your mind go there! Say, “Stop!” and immediately switch to an affirmation, mantra, or image of what you want to create.
You know yourself best…knowing your negative mental habits, create a go-to list of immediate answers to your brain’s smack-talk. Make it as simplistic and easy to remember as possible.
Every time you make the switch, you are training your brain in a new positive thinking habit, which with repetition, will create a fresh new groove in your mind. Over time you will achieve your goals of mental peace and contentment, leading to more happiness in your life.
PS – I recently learned from a friend the trick of using a rubber band on the wrist. Snap the rubber band as soon as you notice your mind going in the wrong direction, and replace that negative thought with a more positive one.