Our brain is often crossed by negative thoughts: "I am unable to do this", "I am a failure", "what if something goes wrong? ". We fail to control these thoughts, which constantly fuel our fears and gradually pollute our emotions, behavior and attitude.
 |
| Techniques-for-Developing-Positive-Thinking-Mindset-by-Benjamin-Smith |
Developing a positive mindset is essential for pursuing our dreams and goals.
Several studies have shown that when we are in a negative state, when faced with a problem, we only identify one or two solutions.
On the other hand, when we are in a positive state, we are much more creative: we have many more ideas, very different from each other. This creativity is a tremendous asset for success in the complex world in which we live.
In his book "Mindset", Benjamin Smith wants to convince us of the importance of developing a positive mindset, and shows us concrete techniques to achieve it.
A sentence from Jimmy Dean sums up the meaning of this approach perfectly:
I can't change the wind direction, but I can always adjust my sails to reach my destination
In life, we are faced with a lot of things over which we have no control. But thanks to the ability to orient our sails, that is to say, thanks to our ability to choose our reaction to a given situation, we always maintain control over our lives.
The conscious and the unconscious
Our brains are divided into two parts: the conscious and the unconscious. We have direct control over the conscious part, which allows us to control our movements, direct our thoughts, make decisions.
he unconscious part escapes this voluntary control; it is in charge of storing our memories, our emotions and our thoughts; and recover those memories at the right time.
We believe that our life is run by the conscious part of the brain; in reality, the real power lies in our subconscious.
Over the course of a day, the conscious mind manages less than 10% of our actions and thoughts. The remaining 90% is governed by our unconscious: our automatic behaviors, our daily reflexes, are controlled by our unconscious.
When our subconscious mind is filled with negativity, it is as if we are unwittingly putting more obstacles in our way; moving towards our goals becomes all the more complex.
But without being able to control them directly, how can you develop positive thoughts and emotions?
Benjamin Smith offers us 5 very powerful techniques to fill up with positivity.
1. Develop a positive mental process
The first is to develop a positive mental process.
That is, developing a healthy and optimistic thought pattern, in which one keeps a confident look at the future. You don't have to be successful in everything you do: you also know how to appreciate the experience gained even when the result is not what you expect.
To develop a positive mental process, you need to pass four stages:
A. Identify your negative thought patterns:
what negative images do you think most often? For example: a complicated situation that ends in disaster, the negative opinion of your colleagues or your boss about you, the critical voice in your head that constantly tells you that you won't make it, that you don't have enough talented.
B. Next, replace the negative words you use with positive words:
For example, don't say anymore: “I always make lots of mistakes”; say, "I always learn from my mistakes." When you use positive words in your everyday speech, your thoughts will also be optimistic.
C. Practice positive internal dialogue:
this is the best way to interrupt the pattern of negative thoughts. When you realize that you are entering this pattern, try replacing it with positive affirmations. In 3 or 4 weeks you will see the difference.
D. Add the word “again” to your sentences:
do not say "I do not know how to do", rather say "I do not know how to do yet". This is a way of saying that you can grow and improve. Something that is impossible for you now, may very well become possible later.
2. Appreciate yourself !!
The second technique is to appreciate yourself.
By learning to appreciate yourself, and by valuing the incredible strengths you have, you strengthen your positivity.
Do you know that internal voice that keeps telling us we're going to fail, all the time pointing out our weaknesses? You can learn how to silence her by making a list of all your strengths.
Don't think too much, write down everything that crosses your mind. Read this list aloud every day, several times a day. This strengthens your conviction in your qualities, and at the same time strengthens each of your qualities.
Your brain stops negative thought patterns as soon as you create the habit of focusing on your strengths, and you believe in your abilities.
Also learn to celebrate your successes: treat yourself from time to time, allow yourself to be proud of your accomplishments. This will allow you to both refuel and increase your confidence in your abilities.
Stop taking other people's criticism too seriously: be confident in your skills, and forget the pressure of always wanting to be liked by others.
3. Be aware of your negative thoughts
The third technique is to be aware of your negative thoughts in order to eradicate them. Sometimes the habit of negative thinking is so ingrained that it is difficult to break it.
We start a new activity, a new job, full of enthusiasm, and after a while we returned to negative thoughts.
To break these automatisms, you have to practice mindfulness. It means to be aware of what is going on around you, to be aware of the thoughts forming in your head.
It can be laborious at first, but it becomes natural over time.
Pay attention to your breathing: breathe normally, and focus on each inhale and exhale. Don't think about anything else. If thoughts take hold of you, focus on your breathing again. With daily practice, you learn to be more aware of your actions, to pay attention to the little things that you normally overlook.
4. Find the silver lining in every situation
The fourth habit is to find the bright side in every bad situation.
Dealing with bad situations is part of life; it is therefore essential to learn to manage them well. Often people look at black-and-white situations: by doing so they limit the options available and reduce the scope for action.
Strive to see negative experiences as an opportunity to do things differently, always leave open the possibility of making things better.
Here are some tips to facilitate this process:
- Find a quote that inspires you, and read it regularly.
- Look for inspiration in others; surely someone has been through your situation and managed to come out on top. Read books or blogs to learn from their experience.
- Remember your past victories.
- Think about it and find a positive aspect of this situation.
5. Practice NLP techniques
he fifth technique is to practice Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques. NLP is a therapeutic approach aimed at changing our mental patterns and behavior through communication.
The author presents 2 very powerful exercises for developing a positive mindset.
Self-inking:
identify an emotional state you want to experience (for example, self-confidence). Perform actions that make you feel confident, and when you feel the emotion you are looking for, imagine coming home from a big circle of smoke. Feel full of positive energy. Then imagine stepping out of the circle and thinking about something neutral, without emotions. 5 minutes later repeat the walk in and out of this circle. How do you feel ? If you're feeling confident and happy, you've done the right thing with Self-Inking. If not, continue to practice entering and exiting the circle until you feel the emotion you want.
Crop content:
Think about a bad experience and the emotions you associate with it (for example, a failed interview). Imagine yourself in 10 years: how do you feel about this event? Probably the feelings will be much less extreme than what you felt at the time. Imagine how you can feel more positive emotions if this were to happen again. Apply this exercise to other situations you have been through, and you will turn bad experiences into positive ones.
All of the techniques presented in this book are very effective in developing a positive state of mind. Getting started is always the hardest part, but the rewards you can get are huge.
This is not a one-time exercise, to be done perfectly the first time. Rather, it is about habits to be practiced regularly and to be maintained over time.
There you have it, you now know 5 proven techniques to develop a positive mindset, according to the advice of Benjamin Smith.
Are you already applying some?
What is your experience on this subject?
Leave a comment below.