Do you want to know the quickest way to get out of a negative spiral? Change your thoughts! We’ve all heard the quote that our thoughts determine our reality, and it’s true. The way that we think about any given situation influences our feelings about it. Our thoughts and feelings make up our life experience, so it makes sense that we should work on trying to keep our thoughts positive!
As you read this, I am away on a weekend retreat having an amazing time. But getting here was a bit complicated. It was my first time leaving my daughter overnight since she was born. Add that to the fact that I was going to a new place with new people, and didn’t really know what to expect, and a cycle of negativity was born…
On Wednesday, as I was preparing everything to leave for the retreat, I was rushing around completing last minute errands, thinking of the countless things I had to do before I left, and worrying about how to ensure that my baby would be okay without me. My anxiety level was high, and as I drove around from place to place, I noticed my negative thoughts getting the best of me:
“Oh my God, I’m so anxious. I have so much to do. I’m so sad about leaving June for the entire weekend. I’ve put her to bed every single night since she was born. What was I thinking going on this retreat? I’m so stressed out. I feel terrible. I should just stay home. Why am I doing this?”
And so on, and so on. I was really getting myself worked up! I caught myself subconsciously saying these things to myself over and over again and then I heard myself say “I hate my life.” Seriously?!?? I was telling myself that I hate my life because I was getting myself so worked up over going on an incredible retreat that I knew was going to be so good for me on so many levels! That’s when I immediately decided to shift this negative spiral. I instantly realized that this thought was not true, because in fact, I really LOVE my life and feel so fortunate with the many blessings I’ve been given. So, on the spot, I made the decision to change my thoughts. I started telling myself:
“I love my life. I am so fortunate to be able to go away on this retreat for the weekend and get some much needed time for myself. I’m so lucky that my daughter has an awesome dad to take care of her while I’m gone. This will be a special time for them to bond. I’m looking forward to treating myself and soaking in the retreat experience this weekend. I’ve worked so hard this year, and I really deserve it. I love my life.”
And guess what happened? My entire mood changed! As soon as I changed my thoughts, my feelings about the situation shifted and I felt much more calm and positive. This doesn’t mean that all of my concerns completely went away, but I was able to stop them from ruining my whole week leading up to the retreat. By choosing to focus on positive thoughts, I had a much more pleasant experience.
I realize that this is a very first world problem that I was having, but the theory applies to all of our thoughts in every situation we might be facing. What we focus our energy on is what we attract into our lives. If we focus on the negative, we will attract more negativity. By choosing positive thoughts, we are choosing a positive life.
What are the thoughts and stories you tell yourself on a daily basis? Are you a Negative Nancy thinking that life is hard, everything is a struggle, you feel awful, and there’s no way you will ever feel better? Or are you Positive Patty, consistently thinking about how great life is, how lucky you are to be alive, to be healthy, to have people that love and care about you?
Take a look at your thoughts. If they’re not the things you want to be attracting more of, make the decision to change them! Ask yourself if your negative thoughts are in fact, true. (They’re usually not!) Start to tell yourself a new, better story. Focus on the things that are going right in your life, not the things that are going wrong. Look for the blessings. Once you change your negative self talk,  you instantly feel lighter and more joyful. As you shift your negative thoughts into positive ones, your whole life experience becomes better and happier. If you do this consistently, you will find that you have become Positive Patty and are experiencing life in a much more peaceful and joyful way. I know this sounds corny, but really, isn’t it what we all want?  🙂
Is there a negative thought pattern that you want to shift in your life? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be happy to help you reframe it!
Wishing you a week full of positive thoughts!