Now the statement that there is great power in positive thought is not only true, it is vital. Thought can change the way a person thinks, their self esteem as well as what others think about them. That is not to say that everyone has to have positive thought 100% of the time because that is not life. Sometimes thinking positive is a conscious effort, meaning that it does not happen automatically. Life is full of trials, but they can be overcome much sooner if a person keeps a positive attitude. Ever heard of someone diagnosed with a terminal illness, with only months to live, yet they defy all odds with their power of a positive attitude and outlook?

Replacing Negative With Positive

Negative thoughts creep up during tough times and it is very easy to fall prey to them. After all, the situation is bad, so combat it with negative energy right? Wrong, negative feelings, thoughts and so on can actually hinder your ability to effectively resolve the problems or issues. Looking at the negative as a learning experience as well as a temporary situation helps. Having a positive outlook improves the attitude and a good attitude helps all your mental processes. Replace all negative words, thoughts and feelings with positive ones. This means you have to make an effort to stop yourself when you start thinking or speaking negatively, eventually it will become such a habit that it is second nature.

Accept And Embrace Change

Accepting shortcomings as well as change can sometimes hinder positive thinking. People are naturally resistant to change, yet it is a huge part of life. Instead of fighting these changes or small speed bumps, how about embracing them instead? Maybe even look at them as new challenges, comparing life to a game. Something to conquer, a way to add spice to life, after all there is positive in everything, sometimes you just have to look a little harder for it. Instead of finding the negative with a situation, how about turning and finding at least one positive thing.

Rewire Faulty Responses

Did you know that the brain can be rewired? Not physically, but intellectually. Some believe in hypnosis, others believe in the power of prayer, but individuals can change the way that they react to others, intercept news, events and life in general. Think before you speak, or make any decisions, stop and think about how you feel. You might have to spend a few minutes looking for the positive in the situation or maybe even something positive to say, but it will be well worth your time to develop your new power of positive thought!

A belief is nothing more than a chronic pattern of thought, and you have the ability to change your patterns of thought at any time. It just takes a bit of conscious effort at first, until you get the hang of it.

I found a great example of this idea while reading an excerpt in Unity Magazine, of an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert, best-selling author of the book, Eat, Pray, Love.

In her interview, she talked about repeating the phrase “I will not harbor unhealthy thoughts anymore, a mantra that she would invoke 700 times a day. That mantra sparked a vision of a harbor with ships carrying negative thoughts attempting to drop anchor. When one of those ships would attempt to enter the harbor of her mind, she would envision it being turned away.” I love this analogy.

Chronic patterns of thought are merely thoughts that have been held in mind and rehearsed over and over again, like a play. Just because a negative thought presents itself in the mind does not mean you have to get out the popcorn, pull up chair, and stay for acts one, two and three. You can simply refuse to take part in the mental drama and move on to something else.

Anytime you find yourself repeating old patterns of behavior that no longer serve your highest good, it’s time to say goodbye to the old thoughts in order to make room for some new ones.

By consistently refusing to harbor negative thoughts and consciously choosing those that feel better, negative thought patterns automatically morph into positive thought patterns. It just takes some conscious effort to begin “playing a new tune”. It is analogous to having forty-one flavors of ice cream to choose from and choosing vanilla every time. It might take a little bit of time to retrain your mind to the idea that chocolate is also a possibility.

Negativity is not something you are born with, it is a learned pattern of behavior. When you are willing to change your thought process from one that is self-sabotaging to one that is self-empowering, your life will change in ways you could never have imagined. It is like being your own mental bodyguard in a way; you always have your back.

As Elizabeth Gilbert so eloquently pointed out, you can stop harboring unhealthy thoughts at anytime. Start today! Your thoughts can change. Your story can change. Your life can change.