I Just Can't Do It! Negative Thoughts That Take Over

I talk about positive thinking a lot. I and other wellness coaches, mental health experts and mindset gurus preach embrace the power of positive thinking and watch your life change. But let's be realistic for a moment, it is easy to teach positive thinking but it is difficult putting them into practice for most of us. Myself included.

I have read all the self-help books, studied the meditation mindsets, and followed the mindset coaches in my journey to a better life. I took in all the bubbly think positive messages, manifest good things and they will happen. And I sat there thinking this is all a load of bullshit. I spent most of my days thinking I was broken because I didn't get it.

My inner thoughts were stuck in a negative black hole. When bad things happened my go-to was "this always happens to me" or "why do bad things keep happening" and my personal favorite was "I'm a magnet for bad luck". I couldn't seem to catch a break. I was feeling angry and fed up, I wanted a change. When I started reading about positive thinking I was skeptical. I didn't think I could change a lifetime of negative outcomes with some positive thoughts.

When I dove into the positive mindset a little deeper I realized it wasn't just thinking positive thoughts. It was a way of looking at seemingly negative situations in a positive manner. By reframing the situation I could use it as a learning opportunity that would create future success. By doing this I stopped the "this always happens to me" loop because I was learning how to change future outcomes into successes.

I will admit I struggled in the beginning but that's normal. I kept trying and pretty soon when something negative happened I was able to reframe it into a positive learning opportunity. But more importantly, negative things seemed to happen less and less. Learning from bad experiences can prevent future negative events and gives one the ability to effectively handle bad situations with optimism. This reduces the stress and frees your thinking for coming up with positive solutions.

Those of you struggling to put this into practice can take comfort in knowing that you are alone. But the rewards you will gain from sticking with it can change your life. IF your negative thoughts creep in when you first start out it's ok, acknowledge them. Then pull that positive thought out. Keep it up for a week and you will notice positive changes in your life and your attitude.