Would you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist? When you think about the future, do you feel excited and happy or are you often on the edge of your seat waiting for the next disaster to strike? Like a lot of other people, you probably let outer experiences influence your mindset most of the time. You'll be in a great mood, but then one negative experience sends you into an emotional tailspin for the rest of the day. Before you know it, you start attracting even more experiences that make your mood worse, and on it goes - you've created a chain reaction of negativity that can go on for days, weeks, or even longer!
Getting tangled in worry and fear too much can also strengthen a pessimistic mindset. Obviously, it's perfectly normal to feel anxious or worried now and then, like right before an important interview, or in dangerous situations. But if you often take worry to an extreme by constantly fearing all of the bad things that "could" happen in your life, you are probably doing more harm than good because worry and fear only keep drawing more and more situations to worry about.
Does this mean that thinking only positive thoughts will eliminate all "bad things" from our lives? Sadly, no. No matter how positive your attitude is, there will always be challenges to overcome, obstacles that hold you back, and even sorrow and loss. But there are far fewer of these experiences than most people realize! Instead, we tend to create our own problems simply by focusing on them obsessively. You have much more control over your life than you realize. It's important to remember that your thoughts have tremendous power! What if you decided to use that power in a conscious, focused way? What would you be capable of creating?
One of my favorite quotes is an old Indian proverb that states: "If you want to know what your thoughts were like yesterday, look at your body today. If you want to see what your body will be like tomorrow, look at your thoughts today." That's powerful! And the concept can be carried much further than the state of your body to encompass your entire life. Look around at the circumstances of your life and ask yourself, "What have my thoughts created?" Can you see a clear connection between your attitude in the past and your circumstances today?
The good news is that if you aren't happy with your life today, it's not too late to change it! Start right now by developing an optimistic attitude. Train your mind to look for the bright side of every situation; to see the glass as half full rather than half empty; to believe in your dreams and pursue them with confidence. Your attitude in the past may have been pessimistic, but you have the power to change that starting right now. And when you do, you'll see your outer world transforming to match your new, positive focus.
Getting tangled in worry and fear too much can also strengthen a pessimistic mindset. Obviously, it's perfectly normal to feel anxious or worried now and then, like right before an important interview, or in dangerous situations. But if you often take worry to an extreme by constantly fearing all of the bad things that "could" happen in your life, you are probably doing more harm than good because worry and fear only keep drawing more and more situations to worry about.
Does this mean that thinking only positive thoughts will eliminate all "bad things" from our lives? Sadly, no. No matter how positive your attitude is, there will always be challenges to overcome, obstacles that hold you back, and even sorrow and loss. But there are far fewer of these experiences than most people realize! Instead, we tend to create our own problems simply by focusing on them obsessively. You have much more control over your life than you realize. It's important to remember that your thoughts have tremendous power! What if you decided to use that power in a conscious, focused way? What would you be capable of creating?
One of my favorite quotes is an old Indian proverb that states: "If you want to know what your thoughts were like yesterday, look at your body today. If you want to see what your body will be like tomorrow, look at your thoughts today." That's powerful! And the concept can be carried much further than the state of your body to encompass your entire life. Look around at the circumstances of your life and ask yourself, "What have my thoughts created?" Can you see a clear connection between your attitude in the past and your circumstances today?
The good news is that if you aren't happy with your life today, it's not too late to change it! Start right now by developing an optimistic attitude. Train your mind to look for the bright side of every situation; to see the glass as half full rather than half empty; to believe in your dreams and pursue them with confidence. Your attitude in the past may have been pessimistic, but you have the power to change that starting right now. And when you do, you'll see your outer world transforming to match your new, positive focus.
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