9 Ways You Think Negatively

Posted on June 07, 2015 by Toni Cay Snyder, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” ~Zig Ziglar

Sounds simple, huh? You may be surprised to know there are nine automatic ways that we think negatively, according to Christy Whitman, creator of the Abundance Principle Program.

These are thought and behavioral patterns that have been ingrained in us since childhood. You may think negatively and not even realize it.

But the more aware you are of the ways you think negatively, the more chances you have to make a change for the better. As with any new habit or behavior, it takes time and practice to transition to the positive.

Why do you want to shift negative thinking? Here are two good reasons:

• The Law of Attraction. This Universal Law states that what you focus on expands. So, if you focus on negative stuff most of the time, you’ll experience more negative stuff in your life. Think better to attract better.

• Happy thoughts equal happy chemicals in your brain and body that make you feel good. Negative thoughts lead to chemical reactions that, well, make you feel bad. This makes you more stressed and at a higher risk for pain, discomfort, and disease. We all want to feel great, right? Think better to feel better.

Ok, so here’s the list. Keep this list with you, and when you catch yourself doing any of these, just recognize it, stop, and think of a more positive thought. Ask yourself, “Is this true?” and “What is one good thing about this?” This process will allow you see your world from a new perspective and rise up to a different level of personal development.

1) All or Nothing Thinking. This is thinking that things are all “good” or all “bad.” For example, life is going well and then something crappy or stressful happens. You go from one extreme (“My life is great!”) to the other (“My life sucks!”). Ask yourself if this is really true, and what IS going well right now. I bet you can come up with many wonderful things.

2) “Always” Thinking. You think in words like always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything. ”There are no single men in New York City!” “My children always leave the dishes in the sink!” Really? Every man in NYC is married? Do the kids always do that? This thinking sets up a negative thought process in your head and doesn’t leave room for possibilities and an abundant mentality. Challenge your “always” thinking and pivot to a more positive thought.

3) Focusing on the Negative. This is when you only see the bad in a situation. Looking for the negative in a situation means you will most likely find it. What is good about what’s going on? What positive result can come from it?

4) Fortune Telling. You predict the worst possible outcome of a situation. This is also known as “worst situation worry” or “catastrophic prediction.” Your mind takes over, and you predict into the future what horrible things could happen. You freak out and make yourself crazy with worry. Remember, if you focus on negative, you bring negative into your reality. Don’t be a fortune teller of doom. Look at the situation from a different perspective and focus on a better feeling thought.

5) Mind Reading. This is believing that you know what another person is thinking even though they haven’t told you. “Maybe he doesn’t want to be with me anymore.” “My boss thinks I’m an idiot.” Most of the time our mind reading is negative. But what if we told ourselves, “My boss thinks I’m totally awesome!” or “I’m am excited to find a more suitable mate who loves me for who I am.” Better, huh?

6) Thinking with Your Feelings. You wholeheartedly believe your negative feelings without ever questioning them. Do you not feel worthy? Do you feel insecure? Do you not feel like you’re enough? Many times we have these negative feelings and don’t question what they are trying to communicate to us. Are these feelings real? Is there evidence that this is true? Challenge your negative thoughts and emotions and refuse to believe they have value. What do you love about yourself? What are you great at? Who loves you, and who do you love?

7) Guilt Beatings. You use words like should, must, or have to. You beat yourself up over the things you “should” have done. You grudgingly “have to” or “must” do something.

8) Labeling. This is attaching a negative label to yourself or to someone else. When you label someone, you are reflecting that label back to you. “Oh my god, people are so disgusting!” When you say that people are disgusting, your subconscious mind is saying that YOU are disgusting. It’s another way to beat yourself up. Ugh.

9) Blame. You blame someone else for the problems you have. Remember, you are 100 percent responsible for what you create in your life. Everything you create is a direct reflection of what’s going on within you. When you find yourself playing the blame game, you take the power away from yourself and give it to someone else. Take back your power and be responsible for your own life!

So, how many of these negative ways of thinking do you do? I’ve caught myself doing every single one of them at one time or another.

When it happens, please don’t be self-critical or compare yourself to other people. Be aware of it, gently stop yourself, and start shifting it a little bit toward the positive.

Focus on improving your thoughts and attitude. Just reading this information puts you on the right track to bringing more positivity and abundance into your life.

Want to really get back on track? Please don’t hesitate to contact me and start seeing yourself and your world in a new way so you can create positive, lasting changes in your life.