Archive for the 'Positive Thinking' Category
Tuesday, May 9th, 2006
I received such a funny email this week, from a nice man in Minnesota who wishes to remain anonymous. This is all his email said:
“Are you ALWAYS so upbeat and happy? You drive me nuts sometimes.”
Yes sir, I do drive a lot of people nuts. It’s one of my gifts. 
But seriously, he does bring up a good point that I want to cover this week.
Because of the type of writing I do, you may think that I have a perfect life. You may imagine me wearing a flowing, romantic gown as I glide through my abundant private gardens, pausing to smell the roses occasionally, and reflecting on the deeper meaning of life.
Yes, I do that, but only on Wednesdays. *grin*
The rest of the time, I am feeling my way through this grand adventure we call Life, just like everyone else.
I have bad days. I get cranky without enough sleep, and I drink too much coffee to make up for it. I get impatient when my husband leaves his socks on the floor after I’ve asked him to pick them up for the millionth time. I get caught in traffic jams, deal with rude people, and feel exasperated when things don’t go according to plan. I’m just like you!
But I also choose to look on the bright side as often as I can. Why? Because it makes me feel happier. And that is why I write so much about positive thinking, optimism, and the other motivational topics I cover. I want you to feel happier too.
I fear that I have given the impression that being optimistic means that we won’t ever have challenges to overcome, or obstacles to get through; that our lives will become beautiful expressions of divine purpose if we can just get our thoughts in order. It’s just not true.
The greatest secret of life is learning how to love each moment despite our challenges.
It’s learning to cherish the good times, and push determinedly through the rough patches.
It’s learning to overcome pessimism and doubt, and focus on joy and faith.
I truly believe that we attract the types of experiences we have according to the types of thoughts we focus on the most.
But let’s put that aside and instead think about it this way: it just FEELS better to be happy and optimistic, rather than angry and pessimistic. Doesn’t it?
Think about the best day you’ve ever had, and the worst day you can remember. Then compare how you felt on each day. Which would you choose if you had to set a theme for your life?
In the end, it’s all about choices. Just like we can choose which clothing to wear each day, we can choose our mood and attitude. We can choose whether to create a life of joy, or a life of sorrow. It’s up to us, moment to moment.
I hope that helps clear the air a little bit, sir! No, I’m not “always” upbeat and happy. But most of the time, I do choose to be.
Blessings and love to you all! 
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
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Tuesday, April 11th, 2006
Yesterday, I found myself feeling pretty cynical all day. I’m not sure why, but I kept heading toward the “dark side” with my thoughts. I wasn’t in a bad mood, it wasn’t a bad day, and I wasn’t purposely trying to be cynical, but yet….my thoughts kept heading in that direction!
Typically, I consider myself an optimist. I try to look on the bright side and expect the best in all situations. Why then, do I occasionally find myself expecting the worst?
I came across this great quote on cynicism this morning:
“It’s hard to argue against cynics - they always sound smarter than optimists because they have so much evidence on their side” Molly Ivins
What is this “evidence” she refers to? Ah, that’s the beauty of creative thought!
Whatever we focus on the most, is what we will likely create in our lives. If we consistently think cynical thoughts, we will create negative circumstances, which “proves” that our cynical thoughts were correct after all. Yikes.
The good news is that it works in the opposite way also! The more we expect the best and strive to SEE the best in every situation, we will create more beneficial circumstances in our lives.
I’m still not sure why I was so cynical yesterday, but I suspect it’s because I was tired. It was a long day. But it opened my eyes to the fact that I need to guard my thoughts more closely, because I SURE don’t want to create any “evidence” that my negative thoughts are true.
What about you?
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
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Monday, April 10th, 2006
What are your mornings like? I’m one of those people that takes a little while to wake up. Even though my body is up, moving around, my mind is still saying, “Zzzzzz….” It usually takes me a good 30-60 minutes before I truly feel awake. And over the past few years, I’ve gotten into a bad habit in the mornings. I do a few little chores, pour some coffee or water, and then get online to browse the news websites, or maybe a few busy forums.
So? Well, I’m beginning to suspect that these activities are not quite productive. Here is why: when our brains first begin to wake up, they are very susceptible to persuasion. We are more likely to absorb anything we read or think during those first moments. I’ve never done any research on this, but in my own experience, I think it’s because we are still in a very relaxed state of mind, which keeps the subconscious mind more open to suggestion. Just a guess on my part.
Okay, so back to my morning routine. Is it really the best thing for me to be allowing negative information into my brain first thing in the morning? I doubt it.
Today I tried a little experiment. Instead of viewing the news websites, I read a few uplifting Zig Ziglar quotes, then wrote a quick article for my website. The result? I “woke up” much more quickly, and I feel more motivated to get some quality work done today.
Time will tell if this trend will continue, but for now I am determined to start my day with positive thoughts, reading positive material, and engaging in positive activities. Try it yourself and see what happens.
Positive thinking won’t let you do anything, but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
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Sunday, March 26th, 2006
Inevitably in life, we will face disapproval or rejection from others. It might be a family member, friend, employer, or even a stranger. They might disagree with the way we live our lives, the decisions we make for ourselves, or even who we are. They might belittle our dreams, criticize our goals, or make hurtful comments that reveal a low opinion of us. These experiences can be quite painful, because we all want to be liked and accepted. We all want to be supported and nurtured and loved by those around us.
Being rejected or ridiculed by others (especially if it’s a frequent occurrence) can cause us to question our own self-worth and value as a person. We begin to wonder if maybe they’re right. Maybe we’re not lovable enough, or talented enough, or “good” enough to be accepted. Following this line of thought for any length of time can be incredibly damaging to our self-confidence.
While it’s normal to have a few moments of uncertainty when we are rejected, the worst thing we can do is internalize the negativity we recieve from others. Just because someone has a low opinion of us does not mean we have to accept it as our truth. They can only come to their conclusions by looking at us from the outside. They don’t feel our feelings, think our thoughts, or experience the things we have in our lives. They are seeing us from a completely different perspective than our own.
To complicate matters even further, their own life experiences, thoughts, and feelings can easily be projected onto us, so they may see something that doesn’t truly exist, except in their own mind.
So, how do we overcome this? How do we avoid letting other people’s negativity erode our belief in ourselves? There are three major points to keep in mind:
1) Reinforcement = Strength. Think of positive thoughts as the antidote to any negativity that comes your way. Feed your mind empowering, positive thoughts daily, preferably several times a day - and most especially after you encounter negativity from another. The stronger you can build up your belief in yourself, the less you will care about others who insult you, ridicule you, or reject you. You won’t be looking to others for your sense of validation or approval, because you will already have your OWN approval.
2) Conserve Your Energy. While it might be tempting to try to explain, defend, or prove yourself to someone who rejects you, this is usually a waste of your time and energy. Once someone forms an opinion of you, they are unlikely to change it. The more you try to change their minds, the more stubbornly they will dig their heels in and resist. So, simply release your need to prove yourself and accept that they are entitled to their opinions. Their comments and opinions cannot detract from your belief in yourself, unless you allow them to.
3) Limit Your Exposure. Once a person reveals their negative opinion or directs hurtful comments your way, you might want to avoid spending excessive time with them in the future. This becomes more difficult if it is a family member that you can’t just shut out of your life completely. But you can still set boundaries and limit the amount of time you are faced with negativity.
Finally, remember that no one else can define you, or live your life for you, or take away the beauty and uniqueness that is you. They may try, but they won’t be successful unless you allow it.
If you instead choose to turn away from the negativity and focus on building a solid foundation of belief in yourself, the negative comments will cease to matter to you. You will go on to create a fulfilling, successful life that reflects exactly who you are, regardless of what others say or do.
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
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Thursday, January 26th, 2006
“Your business is never really good or bad ‘out there.’ Your business is either good or bad right between your own two ears.” Zig Ziglar
Ah, isn’t that a gem of a statement? It is so true that we tend to project our own inner beliefs on our outer reality.
Think about it. When you wake up in a bad mood, doesn’t the rest of your day tend to be negative also? You seem to encounter more grumpy people, obstacles, irritations, etc.
On the other hand, if you happen to be in a great mood, the world seems to be singing with joy. Your heart feels uplifted and everyone looks like an angel in your eyes. (Okay, maybe not everyone.)
The important thing to remember is that we can CHOOSE our moods, just as easily as they can choose us.
By purposely choosing to be happy, carefree, lighthearted, and peaceful regardless of what may be happening around us, we will be projecting those qualities out onto our reality.
Then, even if we do run into a few snags during the day, at least we’re in a better frame of mind to deal with them.
How’s your mood today?
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
Posted in Happy Thoughts, Intentions, Positive Thinking | No Comments »
Sunday, November 6th, 2005
When life places obstacles in our path, when things seem like they’re breaking down and we grow weary of the struggle, it’s a good time to step back and look for the gift. What gift, you say?
Every situation and experience in life holds a gift, lesson or blessing for us. Yes, even the really painful experiences, like the loss of a loved one, an automobile accident, or natural disaster. There is a gift there, if we look for it.
To find the gift, we simply have to ask ourselves, “What positive lesson can I learn from this? How can this situation benefit me? What wisdom can I gain from this experience? What makes this situation worthwhile to experience in my life?” We can learn from anything in our lives, from a snag in our pantyhose to a migraine headache. We can learn from our disappointments, our heartaches, and our joy.
We can do this with any situation too, not just negative ones. Where is the gift in a boring Sunday afternoon, a crying infant or a gray, rainy wedding day? All we need to do is choose to see the positive side of the situation. The gift of a boring Sunday afternoon might be expressing gratitude for having some free time to express our creativity or enjoy a good book. A crying infant can teach us patience, compassion and nuturing. A rainy wedding day can help us understand what really matters, the celebration of love and meaningful connections with our friends and family.
Of course, when truly wonderful things happen to us, we don’t need to really look for the gift then, do we? We already know what it is. During the happier moments of our lives, we can further honor this positive energy by expressing our deepest gratitude and joy. Rather than just feeling glad about our good fortune, we can purposely focus our thoughts on massive amounts of joy and gratitude, and consciously immerse ourselves in happiness. We can shout our thanks to the heavens and affirm that we welcome even more blessings in our lives.
Choosing to focus on the positive side doesn’t mean living our lives in denial. It doesn’t mean refusing to acknowledge the negative or mundane aspects of our lives. It means we see them, we accept them, and then we look beyond them rather than getting mired in negative thoughts and letting them affect the rest of our day.
Looking for the gift means choosing to lift our thoughts higher than our struggles. It removes us from our victim status and empowers us. No matter what happens in our lives, we have the ability to choose our attitude and our mindset. We can choose to focus on happiness, joy, love and gratitude, or we can stay mired in unhappiness and struggle.
Focusing on the gifts and blessings in our lives won’t make all of our problems vanish overnight, or at all. But it reduces their importance and helps them to fade into the background a bit. We create in our lives what we focus on the most. By choosing to focus on the positive, we attract more positive energy into our lives.
Stop for a moment and look at your surroundings right now. What gifts or lessons are available to you in your current circumstances? And will you choose to embrace them and fully benefit from them?
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
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Sunday, August 7th, 2005
Let’s pretend we already have everything we could possibly want in life. We have tons of money, beautiful homes, loving relationships, healthy bodies, fulfilling work and more. We have it all! Life is great!
Doesn’t it make you feel good to think like that? Doesn’t it cause a rush of excitement and contentment and gratitude in your heart? Live in that feeling. Embrace it.
Doing so will pull these things toward you.
Wendy
CreationThoughts.com
WingsfortheHeart.com
VisualizeProsperityBook.com
Posted in Happy Thoughts, Positive Thinking | No Comments »
