Perhaps the most powerful influence on your life is what you say to yourself and believe. It is not what happens to you, but how you respond internally to what happens to you, that determines your thoughts and feelings and ultimately, your actions. By controlling your inner dialogue or self-talk, you can begin to assert control over every other dimension in your life.
Your self-talk largely determines the quality of your emotional life; the words that you use to describe what is happening to you and to discuss how you feel about external events, trigger the emotions of happiness or unhappiness that you experience. When you see things positively and constructively and look for the good in each situation and each person, you have a tendency to remain naturally positive and optimistic.
Since the quality of your life is determined by how you feel, moment to moment, it is important that you keep yourself thinking and talking about what you want in life and off of what you don’t want or what you fear.
You are continually faced with challenges, difficulties, problems, disappointments, temporary setbacks and even occasional failures. They are an unavoidable and inevitable part of life, but as you draw upon your inner wisdom to respond effectively to each challenge, you grow and become stronger and a better person.
Since your mind can hold only one thought at a time, either positive or negative, if you deliberately choose a positive thought to dwell upon, you keep your mind optimistic and your emotions positive. Since your thoughts and feelings determine your actions, you will tend to be a more positive and constructive person and you will move more rapidly to manifest your intentions.
It all comes down to the way you talk to yourself and program your subconscious mind on a regular basis. In my one on one work with clients and in my group workshops I encourage people to respond to problems by changing their language from negative to positive. For example, I encourage people to use the word opportunity instead of problem. A problem is something you can wrestle and struggle with that represents potential loss and difficulty.
Within every so-called problem, there lies a lesson and the seed for greater opportunity or benefit. If you focus your attention on finding out what that is, you will find certainly find it. As the Bible says, “Seek and ye shall find, or all who seek findeth.” You do tend to find whatever you are looking for, positive or negative.
Here are five things you can do to become a more positive and optimistic person:
First, resolve in advance that no matter what happens, you will not allow it to get you down. You will respond in a positive way. You will take a deep breath, relax and meditate to ask your spirit for guidance.
Second, neutralize any negative thoughts or emotions by speaking to yourself positively all the time. The most powerful affirmation you can say is “I am.” Say things like “I am perfect health.” “I am love.” “I am happy.” Whatever is expressed is impressed. Whatever you say to yourself or others is impressed deeply into your subconscious mind and is likely to become a permanent part of you, so be careful.
Third, look upon the inevitable setbacks that you face as being temporary, specific and external. View the adverse situation as a single event that is not indicative of anything or connected with potential events and that it is caused largely by external factors over which you have little control. Benjamin Franklin once said, “While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”
Fourth, remember that it impossible to learn and grow without adversity and difficulties. You must contend with and rise above them in order to raise your level of consciousness.
Fifth, keep your thoughts on your intention and what you want in your life and never give any thought to what you don’t want. Resolve to be cheerful and pleasant, and resist every temptation to respond to an event negatively.
When you practice positive self-talk and keep your words and thoughts consistent with your intention, nothing can stop you from discovering your purpose and living the life you were born to live.
