How To Combat Negative Thougths

If you are overcome with worry and feeling really tense, there are a couple of things you can do that can help shift your energy very quickly in a positive way.

It’s so funny in a way that my mind started playing Bob McFerrin’s song, Don't Worry Be Happy.

I’ve listened to the song so many times in the past that whenever a worrisome thought pops into my mind, my mind starts playing that song on its own!

It’s almost like I have my own private disc jockey who chooses the right song for me at precisely the right moment.

Music can bring so much peace and joy into our life.

I believe that music is truly a gift from the Divine.

So one of the things you can do is to listen to the kind of music that is uplifting and soulful….

..the one that speaks to your soul.

So worry… when we let it control us it can eat us up from inside and transport us into the world that is neither friendly nor pleasant.

Worry… this is something many of us do more than necessary.

For many people worrying is their full time job.

And the truth is most of what we worry about never ever come true.

Worrying takes away our precious time and energy from noticing and experiencing things that are beautiful…

..that are already in our life.

Just look back and think back on the things that you really worried about in the past.

You worried so much that you wouldn’t make it.

But you did make it.

You worried so intently that something terrible would happen…

But it didn't happen.

Worrying drains our energy and steals our focus and creativity.

If we simply step back and mentally detach ourselves from our own interpretation of the circumstances that we feel we are stuck with, you begin to notice something…

….the things that we've been thinking as problematic are neither positive nor negative….

….and our choice of the interpretation of what we are perceiving is creating the negative emotions which birth more worrisome thoughts.

You might say…”oh, Yoshie, you have no idea. I really do have a big problem!”

I’m sure you do because it’s so real to us as we choose to interpret an event in such a way that is so real.

You might say, “are you asking me to live my life in denial?”

No at all!

Holding on to your worrisome thoughts intently is in fact living in denial…

..denying all the beautiful gifts that life has to offer.

Plus, when you are in the state of worry, it's difficult for you to come up with solutions that can help solve "the problem."

But, don't get me wrong.

I do have worrisome thoughts that pop into my mind trying to take away my energy once in a while.

I’m not an enlightened being…

If I were already enlightened, I wouldn’t even be here lol

I believe that all of us human beings living in this physical world are susceptible, to a certain degree, to the thoughts that may not be our best interest at that right moment.

I simply learn to make a conscious effort to combat those thoughts, and as a result, have become better at it.

If 3 people are sitting at the beach and seeing the big waves crashing on the shore, all three would choose to create totally different unique experiences.

Person A becomes extremely frightened looking at the waves.

Person B is sitting there in awe of the power of the waves.

Person C is sitting there thinking about something else… like the conversation she had with her friend a year ago and not paying much attention to the waves.

Later being asked of what they had thought of the waves, person A may say,

“It was traumatic.”

Person B may say, “It was inspiring and healing.”

And person C may say, “I didn’t notice any big waves!”

Depending on the choices we make of the interpretations of that which we perceive we can either create awe or fear....

...or experience neutrality.

So we do have choices.

That’s the gift in itself.

If you read my previous blog, you know you have the whooping 40% power to influence your internal state of being and to experience happiness!

And to activate that 40% you need to take action…

So what else, besides listening to music, can you do to combat your worrisome thoughts?

Here is something we all can do that is simply and easy.

Three happy thoughts

Every time you worry about something, think of 3 happy thoughts to replace the worrisome thought.

Those happy thoughts could be connected to something pleasant that had happened in the past…

They could even be your fantasy, dream, or vision of your future.

Write them down

If you have hard time thinking about them, take the time to write them down on a piece of paper and put the paper on the wall where you can see it often.

Simply use it as a reminder.

Every time you have a worry bug crawling into your head, just get yourself exposed to the list of your happy things.

You can even put them in your phone so you have access to them wherever you go.

We must teach our brain to rewire itself to work for us but not against us.

Worrying is simply a habit.

Any habit can be corrected, transformed, and turned into our strength.

So be sure to try them!

Have an awesome weekend!

Warmest aloha,

Yoshie