I am reading a couple different books right now, and as I read I'm noticing a common thread among them all...the power of positive thinking. We each have the power to control our thoughts, whether we choose to exert that power or not is up to us.
"The Magic of Believing" is a small little book written in 1948 by Claude M. Bristol and it has had quite an impact on my daily life. I'm only about half way through the book, but I'm already seeing a change in myself since I began to implement his ideas. The whole idea of the book is that our thoughts actually carry an energy, so we need to continuously make sure our thoughts are positive, therefore creating positive outcomes in our lives. He gives many examples of the validity of his theory, and he also goes into a lot of scientific detail that I don't completely understand, but overall I grasped the concept. Think positively, and positive things will happen. Since I started his book I have felt more alive and been more successful than ever! I've been getting up earlier, being more productive, excelling in the work place, eating better, exercising more. And it's all happening because I've changed the way I think.
The second book I've been reading is "How Successful People Think" by John C. Maxwell. Now this book is nice because he writes with lots of bullet points and lists. His book feels more like, follow-these-steps-and-you'll-be-successful. Once again, a good portion of his book focuses on how your thinking determines your success, no matter what you're trying to be successful at. The third book is called "The Power of Positive Thinking" and I've only just started that one.
Each person has the power to determine how happy, how successful, how healthy and how wealthy they will be. It's all in your attitude and your thinking! I truly believe that. Everyone has insecurities and doubts, that's natural. But we each have the power to turn those insecurities into strengths and doubts into faith! YOU have the power to choose... Only you can change your thinking. It's difficult to be accountable for your thinking when no one can read your thoughts. But your words come from your thoughts, and chances are if you're being negative out loud then whatever is going on in your head is probably much worse. Find someone who will keep you accountable for the things you say. Let the people you're close to know that you don't want to speak negatively anymore. To train yourself to only speak positively you can try the rubber band trick. Wear a rubber band on your wrist and every time you say or think something negative snap yourself. That will condition your brain to associate pain with negative thinking. If you're finding that your friends aren't supporting you in being positive, then maybe you should evaluate your friendships. Do your friends encourage you to be negative? Do they have your best interests at heart? You are who you hang out with, so be careful who you spend the majority of your time with.
The verse "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" is one that I've been thinking about a lot lately. We must constantly be telling our minds how to think. We can't just let our thoughts run wild, because we all know that's what gets us into trouble (especially those of us with anxiety!). We have to tell our subconscious mind how to think. If you want a promotion at work, you need to repeat in your head, "I'm going to get it. I have what it takes. I am qualified. They're going to promote me." There is power of life and death in the tongue, and the same goes for thoughts. What you think, will be. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength," is a lovely little verse that I repeat over and over when I'm feeling a little unsure about something.
I just want everyone who reads this to be aware of the fact that their thoughts have more power than they realize. Train yourself to envision things working out in every area of your life, and they will. And also, read "The Magic of Believing" and "The Power of Positive Thinking." Your life will be forever changed.
Faith.Hope.Love.
Chelsea Rae
