When it comes to thinking, many of us are on autopilot. It seems as though our thoughts are thanking us. When things are going well, this is a healthy and happy way to be. We just continue down the mental road we are on. It is when our minds are filled with fear, doubt, and worry that it is helpful to practice some new thoughts.
The benefits of practicing the thoughts we want to think are priceless. As we choose to think uplifting, self-supportive thoughts, we put ourselves in a position to be truly successful. We also make it easier for others to lend their support to our already positive outlook. This generates a positive momentum that will carry us to all the good we desire.
I worked with a student who tended toward a negative outlook. For several years he was not interested in my suggestions to try looking at things through a new lens. To him, the problems he faced were real, and he was simply being a realist. He did not see how his own negative thinking was contributing to him staying stuck in unwanted situations. He was not ready to accept that his limiting beliefs were creating unwanted outcomes.
With students like this, it is important to never lose heart. The truth is the truth, and we never know when someone will open up and become willing to try something new. In the case of this young man, it was not until the end of his high school career that he started to see the value of choosing to see things through a lens of positive potential. He recognized that by claiming ownership of the results that he was getting, he was also able to change those results. All he had to do was upgrade his thinking.
We can all benefit from practice with thinking empowered thoughts. By doing so, we become more of the realists we thought we were being when we were seeing things through a pessimistic lens. The reason is simple; we are all amazing. We come with gifts and talents that will benefit the world if only we feel inspired enough to trust and share them.
The best way to practice positive thinking is to set aside a few minutes in the morning to calm your mind and read something inspiring. This is a way of tuning the radio dial in your mind to the types of thoughts that you want to think rather than the thoughts that fill your mind as a result of past conditioning. Even a few minutes spent thinking new, uplifting thoughts each morning will set you on the road to more success and satisfaction in your life. Once you get that loving feeling, you will never want to go back.
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District and the cohost of the inspirational podcast “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed” on iTunes. For questions, comments, and ideas for future columns, send an email to: EdwardBiagiotti@ccusd.org
