Shifting Thoughts
I want you to think about your mind and the way you see things. I want you to concentrate on the way you feel, the emotions you have, and your thoughts in general as you go about your life every day. Do you feel, overall, that your thoughts are positive or negative?
If we are honest, most of us would say we have a negative outlook on life. There is so much pain, heartache, disappointment, death, etc., it is hard to see anything positive or beautiful. History shows, that we as a people have increasingly become more negative in our speech and thought. You are not alone.
I recently had an experience that helped shift how I perceived my thoughts. It was brought to my attention that a lot of my talk was focused on negativity. Without even realizing it, I was speaking negativity, over myself, my friends, and even my family. I was called out, and I am so thankful for it. There were people in my life that only talked negatively and I realized I was letting their negativity seep into my life as well. I let their attitude affect my own.
It may be true that the people around us or our circumstances, can affect us; but in reality, we are responsible for our reactions to those things that take root in us. It can be said this way:
“The battle you are going through is not fueled by the words or actions of others; it is fueled by the mind that gives it importance.” — Shannon L. Alder
We lose sight of what is important. We let those superficial circumstances drive what is important to us. Instead of love, support, compassion, and joy - we allow ourselves to experience jealousy, anger, and sadness. We choose not to look at the good but to focus on the bad.
Who you surround yourself with, and who you are in a relationship with, will help steer your life in either a positive or negative direction. In my instance, the love that person showed helped me start making changes in my thought patterns; changes that help me focus on the positive. What people speak into you, you will speak out. So I encourage you to examine your life and who you let speak into it. When those individuals speak life and love and support into your life, it will gradually shift your mind. You will begin to focus on the positive rather than the negative.
There are plenty of resources online and in books to give you even more information on negativity and how to combat it. This is just one I found that I enjoyed: 10 Ways to Defend Yourself Against Negativity. My prayer for you is that your mind will start to shift and recognize the changes you need to make in your life to live a happier more positive. Even if I have never met you, know that my love for you is deep and I wish the best for you. There is at least one person who cares about you, never forget that!