“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
― Lao Tzu
Thoughts are wonderful and wicked at the same time. They can build you up or they can hold you back from taking action towards what you want.
The only way to really know what’s going on in your own head is to sit down and watch the movie that only you can see. Through the daily practice of sitting down and watching the thoughts pass through you without judgment, you can start to understand yourself better.
This is a place where massive growth happens. If you notice a lot of negative self-talk you can consciously take action to switch it around. This one action alone, even for just a few minutes a day, can increase your happiness and decrease your stress tenfold.
My daily thoughts used to be something like:
“I’m a failure.” “I hate myself.” “What is wrong with me?” ‘’No one is ever going to love me’’
With some daily practice I replace theses thoughts with:
“My life is running smoothly.” “I have many good qualities.” “I’m fun to be with.” “There are many people who care about me.”
Recognize how powerful your negative thoughts are. You create who you are by what you think about yourself. Why not turn that power into positive energy that drives you towards the things that you want in life?
Learn from prior errors. Instead of using your past against you, think about the knowledge you have gained from each experience. Maybe an important relationship dissolved a few years ago. The loss of that relationship doesn’t mean you’ll never find another partner again.
When things get tough and you feel yourself losing control, repeat a positive statement over and over in your head. For example, if you're in need of a job, you can repeat something like: "I am a valuable and hardworking individual who is worthy of a fulfilling new opportunity!"
Reaffirming positive thoughts repeatedly can help you believe that anything is possible. The power of the mind is endless.
To help you manage your thoughts you can use this free resource: The simple CBT Thought Stop and Reframe handout
Join me on my Facebook group where I’ll be sharing more information, tips, and techniques to help you live a happier, healthier life. If you need more help to challenge your negative thinking, check out my free course 'First Steps to Freedom: Starting Your Social Anxiety Recovery'
This free course has been specially designed to provide you with various free resources to help you understand, manage and overcome social anxiety.