Can You Avoid Thinking Negative For A Day?

Definitely helps things go more smoothly. The more negatively we think about things, the more that attitude comes out in our speech, our dealings with others. I think we're more likely to debate, get into arguments with our spouses, etc.

Now, the worrying part is the biggest problem for me, but I'm also big on prayer and that seems to help. Prayer can work wonders all around.

Yes... I have and I felt more energetic in my body and happier about life.

Positive thinking makes such a huge difference in life! Even if you don't successfully do it all the time, you'd still be better off. For some reason, this reminds me of the "13 Virtues" that Benjamin Franklin talked about.

1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Franklin focused on one virtue per week. By his own admission he didn't always live up to the standard, but simply by trying to he thought he was more successful and happy that he would've been otherwise. In his autobiography, he spent more time talking about his "13 Virtues plan" than to any other subject.

I think that contiguously avoiding negative thinking for just a day is really difficult. Don't focus on what you don't want, focus on what you DO want.
Embrace positive thoughts instead of avoiding negative ones. Do this for a while and you'll see how positive thinking will be wired to how you are.

Although this is not a new idea to me, what a great reminder. I am going to try this. It reminds a little of the "Law of attraction" (book by Michael Losier). One tip in his book is to say, "lots can happen," or ,"anything is possible." I have had good results recently just thinking,"anything is possible." Thanks for the tip!

Hi Nicheman,

Excellent post! I love how you raised that question of how to totally avoid negativity. Even though I am a positive minded person, I find it sometimes hard to avoid negative thoughts although I do my best every day to chase it away and replace it instantly with positive thoughts.

I agree with you that it is not easy to avoid being negative, especially since we seem to leave in a rather pessimistic, negative society where we are influenced by the way other people around us behave.

To illustrate my point, I can think of many occasions where the negativism around me and the constant wining about insignificant things got me to think negative, not because I am particularly negative minded person but simply by mimicry. Even though we do not often realize it, as social beings I find we often tend to mirror what other people do, say and think.

So my solution: be thankful for every day you are living, and enjoy it with a pinch of salt: there are very sad and difficult moments in life when we will experience stress and grief, so I always try to always be positive when I and the people I love are doing well.

Furthermore, being negative can only drain your energy and drag you further towards the bottom of the pit. Feeling positive allows you to always aim high and reach out for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally, I always find it helpful to surround myself with positive minded people (and avoid negative people as much as I can). Another technique I use to stay positive is to listen to motivational audio recordings. There are plenty of these available on Youtube. Simply search for "millionaire mindset", "law of attraction", "Positive mind", "Personal development" or similar keywords, filter your results so that it only includes playlists and hit one of them. I usually listen to these audio recording before going to bed.

Thanks for starting up this thoughtful discussion,

All the best,

Bertrand.

I don't know if anybody can honestly avoid all negative thoughts, but the trick is to recognize the negative thoughts and let go quickly. And your negative thoughts show you what you need to heal, examine that thought and work through it, suppressing your negative thoughts is suppressing your emotions, your subconscious holds onto them until you work through them and change your beliefs. Your subcounscious needs you to give it reasons to let go and change your beliefs.

It is not entirely possible to stop thinking negative. I guess it is a part of life.

You don't have to avoid thinking negative, you just have to keep things in proportion. The negative should not run your life.

Lessen maybe but not entirely avoid. I have to be a tibetan monk to do that.
Anyway, i'm gonna go Capt. Kirk here.
(Star Trek V Final frontier)
Capt. Kirk said to Sybok "I don't want my pain taken away. I need my pain!"

Jing Quimpo
"Falling hurts least those who fly low."

This is something that definitely has to be taken one day at a time. For the most part, I start out with good intentions, but sometime during the course of the day things happen and worry and complaining steps in. The key to this is that you cannot do this alone, you need devine help from the Lord.






Simple, easy steps to build your List

No!

Next question.

Start your day with a prayer. Praying really helps a lot.

It's a bit difficult not to think negatively in a day. That is for me, it challenges us to be better next time in what we do. Having negative thoughts at times will challenge ourselves that we can do better than this, or we can do more than that. But not to the extent that we should be thinking negative thoughts all the time since it will consume our mind and disrupts our objective for the day.

An entire day without a negative thought? I've never done that. There's always something that doesn't set well with me (I see it that even a minor irritation can be seen as a negative). I read somewhere that it's better to notice feelings in that they can be used as a gauge and a sign to redirect our thoughts and actions in a new direction. It seems to work for me - when I remember to use it; it's not ingrained in me yet.

I always think both aspect of a thing negative as well as Positive. I have tried a Lot of time but I failed every time, even when I think I will not think negative today, even then I wonder if it doesn't harm me.

It is my personal observation that whenever a negative thought comes, don't try too much on it, to avoid it. Just observe your negativity or any harmful ego, or whatever you were not supposed to do, and you did. You will soon be able to keep yourself positive, not for a day, neither for a month, but forever.
Just observe yourself when you go wrong.

I haven't tried but i guess that it is really hard.

Definitely no human beings on this plannet earth can avoid having negative thoughts coming to his mind. If for instance, you suddenly see a devouring lion, you couldn't avoid the thoughts of the danger of being killed by the lion. But what about if the lion were in a cage? This will, of course induce a different thought. The point I am trying to make here is that negative as well as positive thoughts are induced by external factors most of the time. But it is left to you whether you allow negative thoughts to get the upper hand of you or not. In other words, its the kinds of thoughts you "Allow" to occupy your mind that really counts.

Off-course yes, i would forget thinking negative for the day if i tend to spend my time with social groups in London.

Most of the time, when i think, i don't know why but negative thoughts come first, and i always keep afraiding that hope nothing goes wrong now.

I find if I try to just do "positive thinking" that the opposite types of thoughts arise, maybe to balance it out. I personally like the approach in meditation where you aren't stopping the mind but just watching the thoughts that arise. It creates more awareness about how these inner dialogues are not something that we have to buy into. When you watch it you don't feed it. Feeding it is what creates the avalanche of self-criticisms and negative thoughts.

Debbie

This is such a difficult challenge especially when bad things happens. Like last month, I faced continuous challenges in one day. I met with a ground collapse and unable to continue my journey to my parents home so I have to turnaround back to my own house. Then I trapped in traffic jam for 5 hours while on the way back. Worse enough, then I got involved in a minor accident and have to spend another 5 hours in 3 different police station.

Thanks for a good idea to ponder.

As some have said, completely eliminating negative thoughts may not be part of the human experience! We can, however, minimize our exposure to those people, places and things that spark that train of thought.

Meditation and yoga practices are extremely supportive in quieting the mind and restoring the spirit.

Hmmm I'm not sure. The most important thing is to get back on track with the positiveness after something negative has happened.

I never have. I've tried before but wasn't able to do it.

I can't avoid it but I can limit it...

Yes , thinking negative can be avoided if you really have trust in yourself

During weekends were all I need to do is to watch tv or play with my PS3 or simply listen to the music. I feel more relax during these days of the week.

Excellent question! I have been a Yoga instructor for over 10 years and have been an allround positive person but since I have come across a home study program my thinking has truly changed. It is not enough to focus on what we think....yes we are able to manipulate our thoughts but truly focusing on what we are grateful for and seeing the little things in our daily life is really the key to be 100% positive. With this course I have finally broken through most my limiting beliefs and have able to actually integrate those learned aspects into my thinking and everyday life.

I'm actually relived in a way that other people feel the same as me, so first of all thanks for being so honest!

I think negativity is something we all deal with, especially when we are trying to push trough the boundaries of the rat race.

We've been conditioned for centuries to be the same, do the same and think the same.

But there is always another way!

The whole idea behind being a Warrior is finding your own path and make your own choices.

You deserve to be free, but the only person that could give you freedom is yourself.

When negativity attacks I just tell myself "You are not your thoughts and you are the only person who could give you freedom" I then realize there is no one to blame for my mistakes, my failures and my negative thinking.

I take a few deep breaths, acknowledge that I'm negative and keep going.

Be kind to yourself and it will become easier and less overwhelming!

Good luck and best of wishes
Ari

It is definitely hard for a lot of people to do, but like anything, the more you practice the better you become at it. I find that getting outside or exercising and taking daily vitamins can help to maintain a positive outlook.

I have tried it many times, but I fail. Though the level of negativity has decreased considerably, but i would love to live sans negativity!

Become an observer. Observer your thoughts. Meditation could help. Observe how your body feels when you are thinking these negative thoughts. Be in the now, in the moment whenever you can. You won't allow youself to continue with destructive thoughts because you will feel the pain in your body. No one wants pain, but in most cases, we are not even aware of it. We are not there when it happens, we are in our imaginary future/past. Be now

I've never tried it but I think I just might have to do that....I think it will be a very good experience for me.....thank you for sharing

I want to think of a day when I was 100% positive. I can not think of one just yet.Even the best of days had a few negative thoughts here and there. Great exercise to test out, however. Will keep it in mind.

Great thought Niche Man, it's always a challenge to NOT do something, it often increases the likelyhood of success to replace NOT doing what you don't want to do with another action. By the very "wiring' of our humans minds the concept of 'not' isn't recognized...so rather than avoid ing negative thinking for a day, most will find better success seeking to find the "brighter side" of any challenge. We think in habits, deeply formed for most over decades, but a consistent desire to see the benefit in any given challenges enables us to better focus on what we 'seek' - thus easier to focus where we want to go. ...kinda like someone telling you "do not think about a purple clown" the image of the clown appears in our minds eye. however if we instruct own minds to think about a red ballon, the clown cannot be found, nor it's it's presence even stirred.....your thoughts??

Instead perhaps challenge yourself....can you find the seed of benefit within all challenges you see today? (yes swipe from napoleon hill )

Anyways love the concept!!! peace and best!

I have said before in this forum that i like being positive in every area.It is good to focus things positively always no matter the situation.

I have very bad habit of taking all thing negatively i am trying to over come this problem which drives me nuts. I am try to avoid this kind of problem as this is not right. I will over come this negativeness soon..... I like your post title "Can You Avoid Thinking Negative For A Day?"

Surly i will do it.....

Yes you can because you are the one who controls yourself. What happen to you is only 10% of how you are going to react with it.

This is a good mind exercise i have heard of it but never tried it out. Am a perfectionist now you can imagine hard this will be for me...though am thinking of trying it out.

This is a very interesting thread. I have tried a lot of times not to think of negative things on a day but often failed to do so.

I used to really struggle with negative thoughts, sometimes I would literally waste entire days thinking about useless stuff. Then I decided to look for solutions and after trying many things I came across three methods to counter negative thoughts and I'd like to share them with you.

1. The Cut-it-off Technique: The instant you realize that you are thinking a negative thought; you cut it off and replace it with a different thought. You don’t argue with it, you don’t analyze it or defend it; you just cut it off and replace it with a totally different thought.

2. Observe your Negative Thought: Here you observe your negative thought. First you label it: say in your mind, “What’s happening now is that I am experiencing a negative thought.” You don’t get caught up in the negative though, just observe it.
Always remember: Negatives only have the power over you when you react to them. So, in this technique, constantly keep reminding yourself that it is only a negative thought; it has no power if you don’t react to it.

3. Counter Act the Negative with the Exact Opposite: When the thought comes that ‘I am going to struggle financially’, counter act it by saying, ‘I am going to be tremendously successful financially. When the thought comes that ‘I am a worthless person’, counter act it by saying, ‘I am a fabulous person'.

The mind can only think one thought at a time.

Begin to take responsibility for your conscious mind. From this point on you have the choice to entertain negatives or dismiss them.

Our life is made of both positive and negative energies. hence we cannot avoid thinking negative. thinking negative is not bad as that prepares you for the worst. but pondering on that may make your life miserbale. So, think negative to brighter your chances by taking enough preparation to probable negative scenerios.