We all know negativity limits our thoughts, but do you know how?
1. Negative thoughts uses your creative energy to prevent something you wish to avoid, for destruction, or drama in order to obtain sympathy (and love). “I’ll never do that again” is an order to the brain to map out a situation you wish to avoid. The mind will do everything it can to identify similar situations and steer you away. This is problematic because no two situations are identical. We pull the past into the future, bypassing the present and the infinite possibilities that exist there.
Negative thoughts direct behavior. Rather it is believing “I can’t” or “I’m not enough” or “I’ll never find love”, our actions will reflect those thoughts. Likewise, when we have been hurt, all kinds of thoughts about what we wish we’d said or done play out over and over in our mind. Looping thought patterns of what should have or could have happened fill the spaces of the mind, leaving little room for the present moment or what is working well.
Creating drama elicits attention and sympathy. It tests the waters to see if someone loves us or cares for us, will they be there for me even in the darkness of pain? It creates division lines to make one person better than another, pitting people against one another, thereby creating alliances.
2. Negativity is powerlessness. However subtle it may be, negativity is the opposite of caring enough to do something positive or create something better. When we believe the negative thoughts, we throw away our creative power. If we choose to not act out of fear or doubt, we give our power over to others who do act and create.
3. Negativity is not motivating. It does nothing to solve true issues. We all are capable and often enough willing to complain about something, yet few are willing to take action. Taking action takes energy and creativity. The payoff to taking action has to outweigh the payoff to staying stuck.
Sometimes it is very hard to take a positive spin on a dreadful situation. We have to “coach” ourselves into a different state of thinking when that happens. We have to step off the old familiar neural paths in our brain and create a new path, then commit to following the new path instead of returning to the old path. There comes a time, though, when discipline pays off and a shift occurs. That moment is empowering. It puts everything into true perspective. It does, however, start with a choice. No one can make that choice for you. It takes work, but the shift is worth it.