Negativity always finds a way to creep up on us from time to time. It's when negativity builds up too much or shows up too often that creates an obstacle. A negative attitude can hold you back from truly living your life. However, you don't need to feel stuck because you can bring positive thoughts back into your life!
How Negativity Can Hold You Back
Negativity can hold you back in a number of ways. Have you heard the saying: "If you think you can't, you're right"? It's true! Negative thoughts like this really do sabotage your efforts. The good news is that you can gain control over how you think. When you're expressing complaints and negativity all the time, it not only affects you, but it also affects the people around you.
Negativity, itself, can be the reason why you create roadblocks that don't really exist. So it's time to choose the positive (and, yes, it is a choice!).
Manifesting A Positive Attitude
When you adopt a positive attitude, you open yourself up to the wonderful world of possibilities. Believe it or not, positive thinking is very powerful. It's the driving force that steers your life into the direction of your dreams. Remember, your thoughts affect how you feel (emotions), and how you feel affects what you do. So if you can change your thoughts, you can change your outcome.
How To Develop A Positive Attitude
1. Visualize. When the negative thoughts come crawling into your mind, transform them with positive images. Visualize something that you find pleasing, peaceful, or exciting. Remember what your ultimate goals are and imagine what it feels like to achieve them. Feel that sense of accomplishment. Let yourself experience the emotions you associate with living the life of your dreams.
2. Write it down. Keeping a journal has many positive effects. It helps you vent your frustrations, organize your life, and reflect on your innermost thoughts and feelings. However, instead of focusing on the negative, use your journal to chronicle the things that have gone well in your life lately. Write about the things that you are grateful for. Gratitude is a very powerful emotion that helps you stay in a positive mind-set. We all have something to be grateful for.
3. Relax. Negative feelings are bound to arise when you're in a stressful state. It's important to take time out of each day for yourself. This means that you need to adopt a relaxation method that works for you. Perhaps you can take a bath, go for a walk, attend a yoga class, or meditate.
4. Live for the moment. Live your life for the moment and let go of everything else going on in your life. Negative feelings can easily overwhelm you if you're consumed by past failures or the fear of the future. When you concentrate on the present, your life becomes more peaceful and positive.
In the end, go easy on yourself. You don't need to be your own worst critic. Remember, believing in yourself is a choice.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Overcoming Fear and Taking a Risk
It's easy to stay put in your comfort zone and never take any considerable risks. After all, if you don't rock the boat, you can't fall into the sea. But without risk, there are few rewards.
Overcome Your Fears
You already know that taking risks can be scary. To build up the courage, you need to master your fears. However, if you've spent the better part of your life with fear, it could be deeply ingrained in your subconscious. Acknowledging that you're afraid to step outside your comfort zone is the first step. Here are a few tips on overcoming fear of change:
1. Recognize Your Fears. Recognize your fears for what they really are. You'll soon discover how your fears are limiting you by your emotional reactions to them. Accept that the fear is real, but challenge yourself to approach the situation objectively and from a distance in order to lower your emotional response.
2. Define Your Fears. Many times we're afraid of something because it remains in the unknown. We might label something as risky because we don't yet know or understand what's going on.
3. Jump Anyway. Don't let fear keep you from doing what you want to do. Acknowledge it, experience it, and then do it anyway.
Taking Risks
Once you deal with your fears, it's time to take some risks. Whether you realize it or not, you take risks everyday. Most risks are quite minor, but risk accompanies nearly every decision you make.
Here are some tips to help you get into a risk taking mindset:
Overcome Your Fears
You already know that taking risks can be scary. To build up the courage, you need to master your fears. However, if you've spent the better part of your life with fear, it could be deeply ingrained in your subconscious. Acknowledging that you're afraid to step outside your comfort zone is the first step. Here are a few tips on overcoming fear of change:
1. Recognize Your Fears. Recognize your fears for what they really are. You'll soon discover how your fears are limiting you by your emotional reactions to them. Accept that the fear is real, but challenge yourself to approach the situation objectively and from a distance in order to lower your emotional response.
2. Define Your Fears. Many times we're afraid of something because it remains in the unknown. We might label something as risky because we don't yet know or understand what's going on.
3. Jump Anyway. Don't let fear keep you from doing what you want to do. Acknowledge it, experience it, and then do it anyway.
Taking Risks
Once you deal with your fears, it's time to take some risks. Whether you realize it or not, you take risks everyday. Most risks are quite minor, but risk accompanies nearly every decision you make.
Here are some tips to help you get into a risk taking mindset:
- If the word "risk" sounds negative to you, instead think of it as more of an "adventure," "journey" or "challenge."
- Consider the reasons why you're hesitant to take a risk. What's the worst that can happen?
- Visualize a positive outcome. What does it look like? How does it feel?
- Write out a plan. When you have a plan in place, taking a risk is a whole lot less threatening.
- When you've taken the leap, evaluate your experience so you can improve in the future.
- Self-confidence is the most important ingredient to success.
Putting it all Together
Fear can be an uncomfortable feeling. If you're feeling tentative about the whole thing, get your feet wet with small steps. You can't expect yourself to change drastically overnight, but at the same time you have to believe in yourself and believe that change is possible.
Most of the good things in life require some kind of risk. Sometimes we fail, but there is always a lesson to be learned. Overcoming fears and taking risks go hand in hand and lead to personal growth. Start small and dream big.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
9 Ways to Conquer the Fear of Change
Change can be a scary thing. When you make a change in your life, you bring yourself into the unknown. You travel from a safe place to one where you don't know exactly what will happen.
The truth is, there is nothing you can do to stop change. This world is always changing - sometimes for good and sometimes not. The best thing you can do for yourself is to learn the best ways to adapt to change. You'll soon learn that there's no reason to fear! Here is a list of strategies to conquer your fear of change:
1. Think Positive Thoughts. When you embark on a change in your life, think it through in a positive way. Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, picture it all going right.
2. Learning Life Lessons. Think about some of the past changes you've gone through in your life and include both the positive outcomes and the negative ones. Regardless of your past, it's likely that you've learned an important life lesson. Yet, if you keep your life stagnant, you'll lose out on the many important life lessons and experiences.
3. Write Your Thoughts Down. Writing down your innermost thoughts can provide a similar release as confiding with a close friend. Change can be scary, but if you provide yourself with a way to conquer the fear, you can find the courage underneath.
4. Try Hypnosis. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis techniques have been known to help when we need to alter our thinking. Hypnosis can help you relax by feeding you transformative thoughts.
5. Positive Motivation. If you want to get over your fear of change, you have to actually want the change. If you do, you'll do whatever it takes to get motivated. You can do this by reciting affirmations, writing directions down for yourself, or asking a trusted friend or family member for help.
6. Stay in the Present. Staying in the present moment can help you conquer any fear. It's far too easy for your mind to get caught up with regrets about the past or worries about the future. In moments of self-doubt, focus only on whatever you're doing at the moment. This moment is all you have, so you might as well enjoy it!
7. Break Down the Change. If you're planning a big change in your life, perhaps it will help to break down the change into a series of smaller steps. Doing so will help you to feel less overwhelmed if you can easily transition into a change instead of feeling shocked and scared.
8. The Right Time. Remember that it's always the right time to change. Don't make excuses for yourself. Believe that you can do it and go for it!
9. The Back Up Plan. When you embark on a path of change, it may be the unknown that scares you most. If possible, carefully plan through your change. Think about all the possible scenarios and outcomes - positive or negative - then make a plan. When you have a plan, you'll ease your fears of the unknown and feel at least a little more comfortable with the change.
Change for the Better: Change is going to find you one way or another, so you might as well earn how to go with the flow and learn how to let go. Sure, this is easier said than done, however, learning how to better adapt to change can improve all aspects of your life!
The truth is, there is nothing you can do to stop change. This world is always changing - sometimes for good and sometimes not. The best thing you can do for yourself is to learn the best ways to adapt to change. You'll soon learn that there's no reason to fear! Here is a list of strategies to conquer your fear of change:
1. Think Positive Thoughts. When you embark on a change in your life, think it through in a positive way. Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, picture it all going right.
2. Learning Life Lessons. Think about some of the past changes you've gone through in your life and include both the positive outcomes and the negative ones. Regardless of your past, it's likely that you've learned an important life lesson. Yet, if you keep your life stagnant, you'll lose out on the many important life lessons and experiences.
3. Write Your Thoughts Down. Writing down your innermost thoughts can provide a similar release as confiding with a close friend. Change can be scary, but if you provide yourself with a way to conquer the fear, you can find the courage underneath.
4. Try Hypnosis. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis techniques have been known to help when we need to alter our thinking. Hypnosis can help you relax by feeding you transformative thoughts.
5. Positive Motivation. If you want to get over your fear of change, you have to actually want the change. If you do, you'll do whatever it takes to get motivated. You can do this by reciting affirmations, writing directions down for yourself, or asking a trusted friend or family member for help.
6. Stay in the Present. Staying in the present moment can help you conquer any fear. It's far too easy for your mind to get caught up with regrets about the past or worries about the future. In moments of self-doubt, focus only on whatever you're doing at the moment. This moment is all you have, so you might as well enjoy it!
7. Break Down the Change. If you're planning a big change in your life, perhaps it will help to break down the change into a series of smaller steps. Doing so will help you to feel less overwhelmed if you can easily transition into a change instead of feeling shocked and scared.
8. The Right Time. Remember that it's always the right time to change. Don't make excuses for yourself. Believe that you can do it and go for it!
9. The Back Up Plan. When you embark on a path of change, it may be the unknown that scares you most. If possible, carefully plan through your change. Think about all the possible scenarios and outcomes - positive or negative - then make a plan. When you have a plan, you'll ease your fears of the unknown and feel at least a little more comfortable with the change.
Change for the Better: Change is going to find you one way or another, so you might as well earn how to go with the flow and learn how to let go. Sure, this is easier said than done, however, learning how to better adapt to change can improve all aspects of your life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
