Can one hack through negative thoughts?
Why do negative thoughts present in the first place?
Can they be totally done away with?
To answer these questions, we need to expatiate on certain issues.
During a counseling session, a young man came to me with a question. I won’t go into details for confidentiality reasons. However, he came to me essentially for a pressing challenge with negative thoughts. The discussion I had with him inspired this post.
I had posited three things to him to have an idea of the extent the challenge affects him namely: tendency, proclivity and activity.
Tendency: Here, you are drawn towards something. You haven’t gotten involved in it yet.
Proclivity: In this case, you have become drawn to do that thing and you are already doing it.
Activity: You already do that thing as a habit.
After these explanations, I had gone ahead to listen to him and tell him what I needed to share with him. If you are someone that has had similar experiences, you can relate to this. As a person, where do you see yourself among these three? Also, what determines what you see personally as good or bad?
Negative thoughts are mental patterns that focus only on anything but good in things that happen within or around the individual. Even when the events are good, there’s a compromised sense of appreciation and gratitude. This goes on to affect the individual physically, mentally and emotionally. Of course, there will always be a spiritual component.
Interestingly, these thoughts are not real. They are like visitors who come and go. They only remain if you allow them. That doesn’t mean they will completely cease to pay visits once a while.
Because they operate at the level of consciousness, you have the power to deal with them. How they affect you depends on the allowance you give them.
By the time those negative ones form bonds in your mind, they become limiting beliefs and this occurs at the unconsciousness level.
The negative thoughts we mentioned earlier, when did they begin? Is it after you have broken through barriers as you progress in life or have they been there for years?
Along the same line, I ask, what are the things you think will make you think you can succeed in the next venture?Anyway, one thing you should know is that these thoughts won’t disappear overnight (if they will ever disappear).
However, there are things I will suggest:
I want to assure you that there’s nothing to fear. Fear is that drain which deprives you of the strength of faith and resolve. The more you allow it, the weaker you become emotionally, mentally and physically.
In order to deal with those negative thoughts, do these things:
1. Remind yourself why you got where you are in the first place. It could be an admission or employment.
2. Remind yourself how you got there in the first place.
Remember the blood sweat and tears. You didn’t achieve anything via mere wishes.
3. Reprogram your consciousness. When those discouraging thoughts speak, understand that you are more than what they say. You can deal with them by:
- Acknowledging them,
- Rebuking them.
- Ignoring them.
Anyone that works for you is okay. You can also add affirmative self-talk to that list. For example, ‘You are not good enough’ can be replaced with affirmative words like:
‘I am good enough.
‘I am intelligent’.
‘I am strong.
Remember, affirmative words have to be said in the present tense and have to be regularly repeated.
4. You see in life, you will meet some of the world’s greatest pretenders and selfish people. Because everyone yearns to survive, many are willing to do whatever it takes, no minding what whatever it takes may entail.
Never allow the antics of naysayers fool you. Appearances are the tools of deceitful people. Everybody usually put their best foot forward. You will do yourself a lot of good if you aren’t moved by what you see especially with the craze on social media platforms strongly built on the imaginary world of make-believe.
You know your regular schedule, your strong points, strategies that work in previous times, abide by them. If there’s need to adjust, do so. Life is not for the most intelligent. It’s for the smartest.
Those who succeed are those who work smart. Moreso, the bible acknowledges that “…The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”
5. Seek friends with whom you share mutual benefits. You will encourage yourselves and help to cheer yourself up when down. You will still meet faithful friends. Just be wise.
6. Increase your vibrational frequency by imbibing love, living every day with a sense of gratitude.
I can’t go into full details because it involves a whole lot of other things. Simply put, let your heart be filled with compassion and concern for others. Don’t entertain envy or malice. They constitute negative energy to you and those around you.
These will help you feel good about yourself and treat yourself well too. When negative thoughts prop up, you will be more equipped to oppose them.
Sincerely, thank you for reading.
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Yet another beautiful piece, Uche. Thank you for this, it was really helpful. Sincerely I appreciate your writings…
Aww. That’s so sweet, Vira. Thanks for your kind words.??