How to Make it Happen With Positive Thinking
Your circumstances, to the extent that you are able to control them, are determined by your actions. Your actions, in turn, are determined by your decisions, and your decisions are determined by your thoughts. Positive thinking is a constructive approach to life that can revolutionize your circumstances by changing the decisions that you make.
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Instructions
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Notice your thoughts. Ask yourself dozens of times a day, "What am I thinking right now?" Take particular note of negative thoughts that recur frequently.
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Record the negative thoughts that occur to you most frequently in a "thought journal."
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Identify common irrational thinking patterns such as mistaking feelings for facts, assuming the worst possible outcome of any situation, and mind-reading (overconfidence in your ability to know what someone else is thinking).
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Classify your own negative thoughts, to the extent that they resemble common irrational thinking patterns. For example, "My boss thinks I'm a loser", without concrete supporting evidence, is likely to be an example of mind-reading.
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Intervene in your own thought processes every time you catch yourself indulging in irrational negative thinking, and rationalize these thoughts. For example, if you have no particular reason to believe that your boss thinks you're a loser, admit this to yourself.
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Create (or revise) a set of short-term and long-term life goals, together with a plan for achieving them, after you have cleansed your mind of irrational negative thinking. You may have done this before; however, your goals will probably be more realistic and achievable after you have cleaned out your mind.
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Perform at least one act every day in furtherance of your life goals.
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Tips & Warnings
Positive thinking does not mean denying or ignoring unpleasant realities--rather, it means accurately assessing your circumstances and making the best of them. The term "constructive thinking" also may be used to describe this process.
References
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