Unlock happiness: repel negative thoughts and embrace positivity

Woman embracing joy in Santa BarbaraPhoto byTracy Carbone

If, like most humans, you have negative thoughts creeping into your mind, forever trying to chomp- chomp-chomp away at your happiness like hungry rats, there’s a solution. You don’t have to let them in.

Easier said than done but imagine negative thoughts as monsters. If you were in your home, happily painting or playing with your children or pets, and were jolted by a powerful banging on the door, you’d be startled. You’d head to the door cautiously. If your visitor was growling, in full-blown movie monster form and raged, “You’re a loser! You’ll never move ahead! No one likes you!” would you welcome it in? No. A resounding no. You’d probably call the police, send them the Ring footage, and post it on Nextdoor.

Scary clownPhoto byDDPonUnsplash

So why do we continually let these monstrous thoughts into our otherwise peaceful minds?

Positive Psychology, as posted in Psychology Today explains that some negative thoughts can save our lives. Full article here but the highlights are obvious. Negative thinking could save your life by making you distrustful of strangers or situations. It can help you imagine worst case scenario.

But often we get so caught up in these negative thoughts to protect ourselves that we forget most of the danger isn’t real. There is no monster behind the door. It’s all just us. What would happen if we slammed the proverbial door on the negative thoughts, the ones that keep us overly distrustful? The ones that paralyze us so can’t move forward? Ones that are not our thoughts but repeated words of someone long ago?

Ernest Holmes said in The Science of Mind as quoted on libquotes, “Drop all negative thoughts from the mind. Do not dwell on adversity…”

Holmes is not alone in this thought. The Pursuit of Happiness site reminds us that Buddha believed that abolishing negative thoughts was the path to happiness. “The Buddha once described the mind as a wild horse. In the Eightfold Path, he recommends practicing ‘right effort’ by first avoiding and then clearing our minds of negative, unwholesome thoughts. Once that is achieved, one perfects a wholesome, tranquil state of mind through the practice of positive thinking.”

If those reminders are a little too new-age for you, consider some advice from the Bible. Mannaxpress.com provided these gems. “If you give place to negative thoughts, you will eventually become a negative person. For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7”

Additionally, “If your heart and mind are filled with negative thinking, you most likely will voice what is in your heart and mind. Luke 6:45”

Santa Barbara Girl with RainbowPhoto byTracy Carbone

A Mayo Clinic article points out the health benefits of positive thinking, beyond emotional happiness. The focus is on self-talk. Self-talk is often our best friend, but we mainly use it to talk ourselves out of, instead of into, things. The article suggests several great strategies and the one I like the most is writing out negative thoughts on one side and contrasting, healthier, positive thoughts on the other.

There’s no rule that says you ever have to listen to negative thoughts. When you’re around negative people, you can stop hanging around with them. For a change, trying ending your relationship with that slobbering, negative-thought monster in your head. Life can be pretty sunny without it around.