The average person has an estimated 70,000 thoughts per day! Take a moment to think about the thoughts that run through your mind. Are they positive and uplifting? “Today is going to be an amazing day!” Or negative and self-defeating? “I don’t have the energy to get through today.”
Spring is right around the corner and soon it will be time for cleaning and repairing all of the physical things in our lives such as the house, changing over clothes in our closets, and cleaning up the yard and perhaps getting ready to plant new seeds. But what about the mental and emotional spring-cleaning we also need? When does that happen? Does it happen at all? And how do you do it?
What does a mental and emotional cleaning even mean?
We’re talking about our truths. What is true to us might not really be true at all. It’s just what we have learned to tell ourselves from all of our experiences up until now. The ones that really need a scrubbing are those negative thoughts and emotions that do not serve us. We might not even be aware that we harbor these thoughts because they have been in there for so long, that they have just become who we are. So it’s your truth, but it may not be true, or doesn’t have to be true .
What do you say to yourself about yourself? Your thoughts become your words, and your words become your actions. Negative thoughts sound like “never”, “don’t”, and “have to”, “can’t”, as in “I can’t lose weight”, and even “should”, as in “I should go to the gym”. When these thoughts drive your actions, then that is your truth, but that doesn’t make them true!
Change your thoughts, and change your truth.
Positive thoughts boost your mood, spirit, and generate even more positivity and happiness in your life. Conversely, pessimistic thoughts create a domino effect of negativity. Your thoughts tremendously affect how you live your life and how others perceive you. Thankfully, you don’t have to live with negative mental chatter. Choose to change the channel and have a positive outlook. It takes practice, but soon enough, your mind will naturally gravitate toward positive thoughts.
Try this meditative visualization activity to choose positivity and amplify what IS working to help things go better in any situation.
1. Recall a time when you gave yourself permission to fully experience positive emotions. Close your eyes and remember this moment. Notice what these positive emotions feel like in your body.
2. Notice what you are sensing inside your body. These are the emotions you feel inside. Then remembering, imagine seeing how others are reacting to your emotions, and the impact your emotions, and others reactions are having on the space around you. What is happening?
3. Now, put your hands on your heart and feel the positive emotions growing and expanding inside. Consider what about this scene and feeling could be a positivity anchor for you. It may be a word, symbol, place, color, or a person, or something else.
4. Once you determine your anchor, take a moment to think about what amplifies your positivity and what takes away or blocks your positivity. Open your eyes and write down your positivity anchor and what forces you will say “yes” to and what you will say “no” to when amplifying your positivity. Notice what this feels like for you.
5. Now act. Continue through your day, week, and month continuing to say “yes” to those forces that amplify your positivity, and “no” to those that block your positivity.
Over time, you will naturally be more positive and your negative thoughts will diminish.