A Positive Mindset – Part 2

How NOT to think of something?

Part 2 > Free excerpt from the Book “Chaos in Brainland” A Guide for Creating a Stress and Anxiety-Free Zone - www.amazon.com.au/dp/0645652334

How NOT to think of something?

Exchange one thought with another.
Gently fade out negative thoughts, don’t fight them, be gentle with yourself, and think of something positive, fun, exciting, productive, creative, sexy, anything to stop you from going down the slippery slope of negativity. 

            It’s mainly a discipline action exercise; it’s not that hard; you can do it. Don’t give negative thoughts any energy; don’t feed the negativity; let negativity fade out to be replaced by something you love to think about.

            Replace negative thoughts by concentrating on what you want and not what you don’t want. If you haven’t tried it before, do it now, and become aware of how your subconscious mind influences your conscious mind. 

            Be friendly to your subconscious mind, and say, “Thank you for alerting me to something negative, but I am fine and like to think of something positive.”            This exercise can be very liberating and, at the same time, can be an eye-opener. You will become aware of how many of your thoughts are negative. 

            This strategy, “starving the negative and troublesome aspects of your mind and focusing all your energy towards the positive,” will be a primary support structure, as it is something you can control. It is also the strategy to get away from war-like terminology. Fighting a disease or a negative mental onslaught may sound positive, but it directs all your vital energy to the problem and little to the solution.

            However, with self-care, self-help, self-evaluation and self-knowledge, we can live in peace with ourselves, supporting our healing and everything worth living for.

            To aim towards the positive means focusing on constructive activities and what you love to do. It has nothing to do with seeing everything through rose-coloured glasses; always keep your objectivity.

Awareness

            Whatever we don't, can't or won't see, hear, feel or understand, we are unaware of and cannot change or control. Therefore, becoming more aware is a most valuable skill to acquire.

            Our belief system makes awareness even more challenging because whatever we don't believe will not be in our awareness either.  How can one overcome this apparent dilemma?

            Our minds are programmed with preconceived ideas. Free your mind by checking what you believe against the facts, take a second look and ask specific probing questions.

Preconceived Ideas

            From the moment we are born, we are conditioned. Breaking out of our conditioning is a lifelong struggle because we are constantly re-conditioned by the people and circumstances that surround us. Social media has made this problem far, far worse.

When you look at anything new or old, give yourself a chance: start fresh, get all the details and facts, and check your perspective.

            Don't say "No" to something simply because you don't know it. Having an open mind is a prerequisite for attaining higher awareness. Force yourself to listen and not rush to judgement but to interrogate your ideas and preconceptions. Once you have all the facts, you can make up your mind. Once you have awareness and understand your responsibility, you can take action.

            To take action, one needs commitment and the courage to confront our current beliefs. Switching to awareness mode and learning to be open-minded are valuable tactics which allow us to move some distance away from our preconditioned minds. 

            Challenging yourself is a never-ending process.

Have a look at yourself, and expand your awareness.

1.     Changing perspective 
Step out of yourself, and "Look at yourself and your life" like another person may see and think of you. 
How does your partner see you? Your teacher? Your boss? Your worst enemy (if you have one) or someone who never agrees with you? 
Step out of yourself and listen to what other people say about you.

2.     Learn the distinction between what you think you know and someone else's reality. Who is right? Who is wrong? Is there only the distinction of coming from a different direction, country, religion, or political orientation? Find the disparity between how or what you understand and what else there is in life. 

3.     Why do two people come to different conclusions over the same subject? Does one of them have to be wrong? Why? 

4.     Ask yourself questions to force awareness. 

5.     Ask yourself the fundamental question, "Do I want to change?" 
Many say, "I don't need to change or can't change what I am." 
That is a belief, and whoever believes it is right - dead right. 

6.     Ask questions about your standards, values, belief systems, goals, and desires, and listen to where the answers come from! Are they your answers? Or your parents, teachers, or the media's responses?

7.     Get specific with questions, confront yourself, and shake yourself up. Generalisations, such as all politicians are crooks, can be confronted with questions like, "Absolutely all? Who specifically? How do I know? Is that a fact?"

8.     Turning generalisations into specifics expands your awareness and the reality and world you have created in your mind. Understanding can change from day to day. The world is a fact, and you see it with a limited view, which will not be the same as the view of the person next to you. Do you react to facts, or your opinion, and assumptions of what you think is happening worldwide? Please stick to the facts; even so, with social media and misinformation, facts have become harder to validate.

9.     The biggest personal downfall in growing as a person is to be righteous. Check yourself: are you defending some of your ideas, beliefs or ideologies? And if you are, do you believe you are right? If you think you are right, question yourself, how do you know, where did you get the facts and most importantly, do you have all the facts? Can anyone have all the facts?  If you are right, is everyone else wrong? 

From Brainland - Cheers, Dieter Luske - www.dieterluske.com

“Chaos in Brainland” A Guide for Creating a Stress and Anxiety-Free Zone!

Available on Amazon > www.amazon.com.au/dp/0645652334

Dieter’s facebook.com/dieter.luske