Although country music is not my favorite genre, I couldn’t agree more with Willie Nelson’s words: ‘Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.’
Self-doubt, stress and resentment stop many people from living happy, fulfilling lives.
In a recent study published online in the journal Psychological Science it says that researchers found that when people wrote down their thoughts on a piece of paper and then threw the paper away, they mentally discarded the thoughts as well.
On the other hand, if people wrote their thoughts down on a piece of paper and tucked it in a pocket they were more likely to use them when making judgments.
“However you tag your thoughts — as trash or as worthy of protection — seems to make a difference in how you use those thoughts,” said study co-author Richard Petty of Ohio State University.
The findings suggest that people can treat their thoughts as material, concrete objects, Petty said.
This is very interesting and surely worth trying.
Positive or negative thoughts have a great impact on how you see yourself, how you behave and may even affect your health.
If you could learn to manage stress you would have many health benefits and even an increased life span.
So I challenge you to experiment with writing all negative self-talking down and throwing it in the bin.
Afterwards replace those thoughts with positive ones, write them down with some action steps and put the paper in your pocket.
One thing I know for sure:
- if you make a conscientious effort to minimize the negative aspects of any situation and replace them with a positive perspective
- if you manage to find an effective way of not suffering by anticipation
- if you can identify ways to put a positive spin on things
- if you design a plan and move into action you will be amazed by the results.
You will feel happier, less stressed and more confident.
You will see life for what it really is – an incredible journey to be enjoyed to the full!
