Are Negative Thoughts And Negativity Holding You Back?

Negativity always finds a way to creep up in your life from time to time. It’s when negativity builds up too much or shows up too often that you have an obstacle to overcome.

A negative attitude can hold you back from truly living your life. However, you don’t need to feel stuck because you can bring positive thoughts back into your life!

How Negativity Can Hold You Back

Negativity can hold you back in a number of ways. Have you heard the saying: “If you think you can’t, you’re right”? It’s true! Negative thoughts like this really do sabotage your efforts

The good news is that you can gain control over how you think. When you’re expressing complaints and negativity all the time, it not only affects you, but it also affects the people around you. Negativity, itself, can be the reason why you create roadblocks that don’t really exist! So it’s time to choose the positive (and, yes, it is a choice!).

Manifesting A Positive Attitude

When you adopt a positive attitude, you open yourself up to the wonderful world of possibilities. When positive energy is in the air, you’ll be able to transform your negative feelings and maybe even bring others out of their negativity clouds.

Believe it or not, positive thinking is very powerful. It’s the driving force that steers your life into the direction of your dreams. Remember, your thoughts affect how you feel, and how you feel affects what you do, so if you can change your thoughts, you can change your outcome.

How To Develop A Positive Attitude

How can you change your attitude? It’s easier than you think.

Follow these tips to develop a positive attitude:

• Visualize. When the negative thoughts come crawling into your mind, transform them with positive images. Visualize something that you find pleasing, peaceful, or exciting. Remember what your ultimate goals are and imagine what it feels like to achieve them.

• Write it down. Keeping a journal has many positive effects. It helps you vent your frustrations, organize your life, and reflect on your innermost thoughts and feelings. Instead of focusing on the bad, use your journal to chronicle the things that have gone well in your life lately.

• Relax. Negative feelings are bound to arise when you’re in a stressful state. It’s important to take time out of each day for yourself. This means that you need to adopt a relaxation method that works for you. Perhaps you can take a bath, go to church, attend a yoga class, or meditate. When you’re relaxed, a peaceful and positive mindset will likely overtake you.

• Read and write affirmations. Grab a book with positive affirmations in it, or better yet, write your own. Affirmations are a powerful way to bring positive thoughts into your present state of well being. Affirmations are short statements in the present tense that remind you of positive attributes and goals in your life. Here’s an example: “I am strong and competent.”

To help you with affirmations I’ve compiled a FREE e-book you can download for free here. There’s no Opt-In, no cost – nothing. It’s yours to read with my compliments. If you wish, you also have my authority to give the book away to whoever you wish as long as it remains totally unchanged.

You’ll find enough affirmations for a different one each day for a month!

Get your copy of “30 Lifestyle Created Affirmations” by clicking this link now.

• Live for the moment. Live your life for the moment and let go of everything else going on in your life. Negative feelings can easily overwhelm you if you’re consumed by past failures or the fear of the future. When you concentrate on the present, your life becomes more peaceful and positive.

In the end, go easy on yourself. You don’t need to be your own worst critic, instead, try being your biggest advocate! Just concentrate on your well being and you will develop a more positive attitude.

Yesterday I posted about motivation

The universe sent me this via a lady named Joan Hughes

I need say no more apart from – what was I complaining about!

Totally inspiring:

I’m about to commit a cardinal sin! What could possibly be my motivation for that?

When I started blogging I just blogged! No thought about who would really read what I posted. Actually, that’s not strictly true. I imagined the world was waiting with baited breath ready to cling on to my every word.

But then after studying how to get visitors to my sites I realised that it took much more than a reasonable post & hitting the publish button.

So I embarked on a program of writing content that people were searching for and using appropriate tags, keywords and categories to meet the search engine criteria.

Sounds less than 100% spontaneous I know but it became easy enough as all I needed to do was weave the words people were searching for into my posts.

But today my motivation is something very different.

And the cardinal sin…

I’m just writing this for me. I don’t know if anyone will be looking for this or whether they’ll even read it.

But today I just have to reach out to the universe and hope that someone or something cares!

I’m so tired of being the person that everyone depends on, the person everyone comes to with their problems, the guy who knows the answers. I’m tired of being the crutch for what seems like everyone in my personal life and my business life…

How do I do this?

What should I do about that?

So what should I do?

Can you?

Today, my motivation for writing this is that sometimes in life we hit a brick wall head on. There is no answer. There is no one to turn to. There is nobody there able to tell you what to do.

And that’s where I find myself today.

I don’t know the answer and I don’t know who to turn to!

So you actually want to know what this insurmountable problem is do you?

I’m not sure you really do!

It has nothing to do with business and for most parents they’ll never face this challenge – at least not in the extreme.

What do you do when your child absolutely refuses to go to school!

The school has virtually stated it cannot meet the child’s needs.

You can’t find the real reason for the refusal.

There’s no point in insisting – it’s like trying to pull a wild animal in towards a fire. If it doesn’t want to go it won’t.

And the school’s solution “bring the child screaming and kicking – we have to set the boundaries”

Oh, yes. That works – like turn your back for a second,  you have a runner and another challenge to deal with!

So much for the so called “experts” who are expert in nothing other than telling you they’re experts!

And now I’m left feeling that it’s my fault because the solution is to drag a distraught child to the school and leave the uncaring experts to deal with the situation!

Oh, yes. The punishment for leaving the school without permission (the very condition that causes the upset results in stress, anxiety and running from facing up to matters)…

Detention!!!           and that equals…  more refusal.

And the positive in all of this?

I work from home. I don’t have a boss that’s going to give me a hard time or fire me for not being there!

I’m in control of my time and can manage my life and business around such challenges.

But, how nice would it be to ask somebody else “what should I do about this” and be able to rely on them sorting it all out for me!

Thank you for listening – I feel much better.

Technorati: cardinal sin, motivation

Keeping a positive attitude can be so very hard, particularly if you read newspapers or watch the television!

Every day all you hear is bad news, economy, crime, deprivation, lies and self promoting hype. I hate it!

Ever watch any soap operas? Supposedly based around real life people? I feel sorry for those guys! All they ever do is deal with bad situations and shout at everyone. That’s no way to live.

I won’t corrupt my mind by watching that stuff. In fact, I haven’t read a newspaper for years – I don’t believe most of what’s in them and everything is focused on negativity.

And as for the cinema and kids programs! In the main it’s all violence, horror overlaid with flashes, bleeps and noise. I’m starting to sound old!

But answer me this. How do you expect to keep a positive attitude if you fill your mind with all that junk? It’s absolutely no surprise to me that we’ve bred a new generation of violent and intolerant children.

But, we do all need entertainment. We need to break free from routine and escape once in a while…

Spiritual Cinema provides ONLY films that are uplifting and positive. In keeping with a positive attitude. If you want to watch something then make sure you’re viewing something that is not damaging to your well being!

Technorati: keeping a posittive attitude, positive attitude, Spiritual Cinema

Image by ( Krikit ) via Flickr

Positive motivation comes from within each of us. But, sometimes an inspiring motivational quote, a beautiful photograph or piece of music can help lift the spirits and stir us into action.

Personally I find photographs of nature totally inspiring and when combined with great music my mood and motivational level can be shifted immediately.

I’ll be posting videos here that I have found to help me. I hope you like them.

The first combines motivational quotes (you’ve probably heard most of these before), photographs and music. Very peaceful.

Motivational Quotes & Quotations

Technorati: inspirational, inspiring, inspiring motivational quotes, motivation

Image by cdnsue via Flickr

Do you lack motivation to:

Play golf

Play guitar

Play football

Read novels

Do anything you really enjoy?

I thought not.

Somewhere, sometime in the past, society decided that we need to work on boring, day-to-day activities in order to get by.

This “rule” has been perpetuated and we are brought up and taught in schools that we have to go to work to earn money. We are programmed to live our lives believing this to be the only way.

“”It’s outrageous and a downright lie!”

Yes, we need to generate a living. Yes, we need to have enough money to provide for ourselves and our families, but no we shouldn’t just go to work for that reason.

How many people hate their jobs? I can’t begin to count the times I’ve heard that phrase. Are those people motivated to work?

Our goal in life should be to understand what we really love doing and find a way of making that into a business. We should go to work for the satisfaction of what we do.

Surely like me, you want to spend your days doing what you love.

At the weekends do you really do things you don’t want to? Doing what you prefer to do is what life is all about!

There is nothing but pain and drudgery if we are compelled to do something that we don’t like or that we’re expected to do.

Would it be hard to maintain a positive attitude and stay highly motivated if every day you woke up in the knowledge that you were going to do something you loved?

So there’s your challenge. As you create the lifestyle of your dreams focus on what you love. Build your life around that and you’ll be healthier, wealthier and any lack of motivation will be a thing of the past.

OK, OK, I hear the complaints…

But this, but that.

But “what if it is possible to do what you love everyday?”

Use that as your starting point and focus on the positive and you CAN & WILL find a way.

Focus on the impossible and it will be just that.

Go on, do what you love.

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• Why “Just Do It” Just Doesn’t Do It for You

Technorati: motivated, motivation, positive attitude

Image via Wikipedia

Hot on the heels of my post about Motivation Paste I received an email from Joe Vitale.

It seems he has his own Motivation Paste in the form of a What If Up Club

You may question “what the devil is a What If Up Club” – it’s much less complicated than you might think!

Simply answer the question “What If” with a positive.

So instead of thinking about the possible negative outcomes you only focus on the potential positives.

So I’m currently motivating myself with the thought “What If I get 1000 Stumbles on my Motivation Paste post”

Now that an great example of Internal Positive motivation. I’ll keep that thought for a few days – that’s how to stay motivated!

Technorati: Joe Vitale, motivation, positive motivation, what if up

We’ve all heard it – probably starting at school – “he’s just not motivated” or “she really lacks motivation”

If our teachers thought it was so important – enough to write it in our reports – why did they do so little to help us understand motivation?

20 odd years ago I was on a management “development” course and we invented Motivation Toothpaste. Simply brush first thing in the morning and last thing at night and you’d have that vital ingredient for success in anything you did – motivation.

If you believed in the paste enough it would work – the belief alone would be enough to keep you motivated. You knew you couldn’t fail at whatever you did.

If only it really was that simple!

Instead of one solution – the Motivation Paste, we are faced with 4 factors:

Positive & Negative motivation and Internal & External influences

The difficulty is knowing what motivates us and where it comes from! And how to stay motivated in the face of setbacks and negativity.

• Are we born with motivation?
• Do some people have an abundant supply of the stuff?
• Are we motivated by external sources such as rewards or praise?
• Does the actual challenge motivate us?

I know nothing about the science of this subject but the answer is so critical to our success.

If we are not motivated to do something we either won’t attempt it or we’ll do it just because we have to. It’s part of the job. The boss told us to do it.

But for us, building our perfect lifestyle, we need to be self motivated because nobody is waving the big stick. If we don’t do what is required nobody else will care!

At its most basic level motivation is what gets us out of bed each day:

• Hunger, thirst, call of nature.

• Fear of losing job if late.Basic human needs.

But for most of us there’s something deeper. There’s a passion or desire to do something:

• Golf today
• Going on holiday
• Love of business
• A new car
• Sense of achievement
• A moral or desire to help others

Even then there are days where we are not motivated. An argument with partner the night before, a cold developing, it’s raining…

As I was thinking about this subject I found this post that lists 21 proven motivation techniques

Reading through them I reached the conclusion that there are 4 types of motivation and each will be present at all times but only one will be dominant at any particular time.

External Negative

Some people respond to negative motivation – do it or else.

Most people who hate their jobs live with this. Get that done or you’ll be fired!

But, it results in a grudging activity induced by fear of the consequences. Not exactly the best way to have a motivated workforce!

By it’s very nature the negative motivation breeds negativity – mainly because the action is not chosen for it’s own virtues but fear of other consequences.

External Positive

This can be exceptionally motivating for some people. Praise from the boss for a job well done. The promise of a reward for doing something correctly, quickly or exceptionally well.

Most sales organisations use positive rewards as part of their motivational strategy.

Internal Negative

This can be the most damaging.

If I don’t do this…

I must get this done or…

I don’t want to be in debt so…

Although possibly motivating there are other implications for this kind of self talk – in fact this kind of “motivation” can lead to the Law of Attraction working against you.

Internal Positive

Goal driven. Focused on targets you want to achieve for yourself. Positive self talk with maybe mini rewards for achievement.

Although the most inspiring, for many this is the hardest motivation to enjoy consistently because it is dependent upon keeping focused and positive. Outside influences can change your attitude in an instant.

This is THE ONE to master. Get a tube of Motivation Paste, use twice daily and the secret of success is yours.

WARNING To be read in conjunction with articles on positivity, positive thinking, abundance, goals and focus.

Technorati: motivated, motivation, staying motivated

The biggest reason why most people don’t have want they want in life is that they simply don’t believe they can.

That’s a simple statement but but it contains so many different reasons for failure.

There’s the belief that only clever people can run businesses, only people with much money already, only people with certain skills, ideas, backgrounds, contacts… the list is endless.

Then there are those beliefs about money; it’s evil, money goes to money, rich people are arrogant, I’m not worthy, I can’t…

But honestly, they are all only excuses for not taking action which will mean making some sort of change.

The thing that sets all successful people apart from those who don’t make it is simply:

BELIEF

Yes, they 100%, totally, unwaveringly believe in their own ability and the certainty of success.

I’ve obtained a free gift for you that will help get your beliefs about money into perspective and I think you’ll find will make your becoming a business success so much easier.

Before you download the book (just click the book cover below) there are two sections in the book I want you to read and think about very carefully.

On pages 11-12, the issue of change is addressed. As you probably know, this is my area of expertise, I just love change (I know, I’m a bit weird – most people are really afraid of it!) because I know that the changes I make are for the best. If you focus on the desired outcome, rather than what you fear may happen, then the best you hoped for WILL come about. It is only the focus on the negatives that cause them to happen.

As an aside I play golf as much as possible. Anyone who also plays will know that water hazards cause many golfers big problems.

The cause of that is that most of the time they concentrate on NOT going into the water rather than focusing on the shot they want – landing the ball on the green. The negative thought creates the shot that gets wet because the subconscious takes the thought of water as an instruction.

Back to the book, I particularly like this quote:

When you change so does your world

There is no point in waiting for the world to change to your liking – it’s not going to happen. If you want something and it’s not happening for you right now then you, and only you, have to change something.

The other area is about doing what you love to do. And doing that to make money.

You see it’s all about passion. If you do something you hate how much effort and enthusiasm do you have? If your current job involves doing exactly the same thing day in day out do you find it so stimulating you want to tell the world about it?

You’ll find Money Beliefs a great read and I hope will open you eyes to a few possibilities.

If you haven’t started a business yet or decided exactly what you want to do I strongly recommend you read Money Beliefs first.

Good luck

Technorati: beliefs about money, believe, change, making changes, money

You’ve been sitting at the red light for 5 minutes already. It’s a really busy junction and there are cars streaming through the green light and passing right across the front of your car.

You’re getting uncomfortable. Should I just drive on? Surely the lights must change in a second.

You wait a little longer. Nothing is happening. Nothing is changing.

You’re getting a little stressed. You know what the red light means. Just wait. But for how long?

It’s been 7 minutes. You want to drive on but you’d have to head out into the traffic that’s passing through the green light.

You wait a little longer. Still no change.

Your decision is made. You cannot wait any longer. The traffic lights are clearly not working correctly. They are not going to change.

You have to go.

What’s the worst that can happen?

A ticket for driving through a red light? You could probably clear that because theres’s clearly a problem.

Some abuse from other drivers? You can live with that.

A collision? Not good, but the traffic is moving slowly so you won’t die and probably wouldn’t even get hurt.

You put the car into gear and head out slowly into the moving traffic to be greeted by tooting of horns and gestures from the drivers that you’ve gone through a red light.

It’s very uncomfortable. You feel it’s a bit of a risk but you had to do something.

You could have sat waiting but nothing would have changed.

You did something. You acted. You took control. It felt scary but at the same time good that you were doing something positive rather than just waiting.

You moved into the free flowing traffic, the toots die down, the gestures stop and you drive on home.

No collision, no injury, no ticket. Not so bad after all.

Is it the same in your life?

Your stuck. Your stressed. Nothing is changing.

Little money; hate your job; hate your boss; hate your lifestyle.

Your life is at the Red Light.

Unless you change something, nothing is going to change.

It may be scary, it may be a risk but the choice is clear:

You either decide to move on or you put up with what you’ve got.

What’s the worse that can happen?

Your probably not going to die or get injured.

If fear is holding you back you need to think long and hard about this question:

What do you fear most, living your life the way you do now for the rest of your life or taking some well thought out action?

I don’t mean a leap of faith, I mean spending some time on you instead of say watching TV. Working out what to do, looking at the downside risks and taking steps to minimise those risks and maximise your chances of success.

Can you do it?

100% YES.

Stay tuned to Lifestyle Created and create the life you truly desire and is there waiting for YOU.

If you chose to stay sitting at the traffic lights do something beneficial while you’re there – read Carole Fogarty’s advice

Technorati: change, lifestyle, red light, red traffic light, stop light