To listen to the blog post “7 Ways To Kill Negative Thinking Patterns” over reading it then click the play button below.
Negative thinking patterns can limit your success. If you don’t think you can then you won’t. Case and point. I was counseling someone and assisting her with career advice and the only words that came out of her mouth is I can’t or something just negative.
It should go without saying that the coversation went no where. She did not come up with any goals because she did not feel that she was capable of achieving her goals. She did not feel like she could do anything, so when it came time to put action toward what we talked about, months later when it came down to looking at the progress it was NOT suprising to me that her time was spent being unproductive, her getting nowhere, and her having no clarity for the future.
The first time I meant with her, her words were filled with how much she could not and as I always say words how power, and since she spoke this into reality that is what she created. But words just rarely come out of your mouth from no where. They are often thought of first. And often a person thinks of what they CAN’T do long before they start speaking about what they can’t do which makes negative thinking a dangerous. Because it just lingers in your brain, haunting your thoughts, coming out of your mouth, and playing out in your actions OR better yet your lack of actions.
1. Negative Thinking Disorder ~ The Obvious Negative Thinking Patterns
The obvious negative thinking patterns is when you come down on yourself in an obvious way. Saying things like “I will never be successful, I am not worth anything, I cannot get a better job.” All words have meaning (see my blog here) and whatever a man thinks in his heart so is he Proverbs 23:7 (see my blog here).
If you keep telling yourself that you do not have anything good to offer or you do not deserve better than that is exactly what you will be and exactly what you will get because that is what you keep telling yourself. And therefore, that is what you have become. Unsuccessful, unemployed, someone who cannot find a job, and someone that is undeserving of anything good.
Negative Thinking Disorder: Psychologists link negative thinking to depression, anxiety, chronic worry and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (source) . Also check out my video down below on the dangers of complaining. And don’t forget to subscribe to my channel by clicking here.
2. Negative Thinking Disorder ~ The Not so Obvious Negative Thinking Patterns
If you were to ask me, I think the not so obvious negative thinking patterns are the most prevalent types of thinking that will limit you. It is because it is not really directly putting yourself down, but rather indirectly putting yourself down. And so most people do not even know that they are doing it. But it is still causing you to be limited in their thinking. And it still has the same effects as the ones that I mentioned above. It is still limiting the success in your life.
An example of the not so obvious negative thinking patterns are I don’t know what I want to do with my life, I do not really know if I am able to do that, I am not sure if I am qualified to do that, I am afraid to move higher because I am not sure what will happen, or I really want to start my own business but I do not know how.
Not so obvious negative thinking patterns are really just a bunch of excuses, followed by no action, and a bunch of indecisive people or people who are afraid to step out for fear that they may fail. Or the biggest one, is a catagory that I use to fall into is that you tend to crush your hopes yourself because IF something did not happen you do not want to feel too disappointed and so therefore it is better to prepare yourself before hand in case it does not happen which is still a negattive thinking pattern.
3. Negative Thinking Disorder ~ Why People Fall Into Negative Thinking Patterns
There are many reasons why people do both of the negative thinking patterns but I am just going to list some of the more common ones that I have observed in people. Also check out my blog on 10 postive affirmations that will change your life, just click here.
4. People Fall Into Negative Thinking Patterns Because They Really Do Not Think They Are Worth More
People who fall into this subset, may not think that they have low self-esteem but they do. Low self esteem is not always about your appearance but it is what you feel you were worth. Saying things like, I cannot achieve this or that because I am not fill in the blank. Something good will never happen to me because fill in the blank are statements of low self esteem.
At the end of the day if something good has to happen to someone, then why can’t it be you? Why would you not believe that you have as good of a chance as anyone else? Instead, you to denounce even the possibility of something good happening because, in your mind, you are not worthy for it to happen to.
True Story. I tell my friends all the time that it is my dream to become a millionaire. A few of my friends looked at me like I am INSANE. After I heard this a few times I asked them why THEY thought they could not be millionares. After much thought they told me that they thought they dare to not even dream something like that because it could never happen to someone like them.
There are two lessons to be learned in this statement, not only do they not feel they are worthy of this type of success. But now they try to push their beliefs on me so that I do not think I am worthy of this type of success. And if you are NOT careful people can plant seeds in YOUR head and that is where the negative thinking starts. Other people’s issues can not only be their issues but also your issues (see my blog here). Also you can check out my video down below on how to have more confidence.
5. Breaking The Negative Thinking Disorder ~ And here lies the choice:
To be like them and choose limit your success by what you feel you do not deserve in life. Or to be like me to feel that you do.
For myself, I think that there are plenty of millionaires out there and I also think to myself why can’t I be one of them? For me, it is not wishful thinking. Because I believe that I can make more, I work hard and implement a plan that will make me more. And even if it does not happen in an instant I know that hard work will pay off (see my blog here) and I will see fruits of my success. That is called you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7).
Take the example in the Bible of Parable of the Three Servants Matthew 25:14-30 (Click here to read my full blog post on this parable). The master gave the three servants money. When the master came back two of the servants earned the master money double and triple fold. The third servant buried the money and saved it and when the master came back he had the same exact money amount that the master gave him thinking that the master would be pleased. But the master was not pleased he was pissed. Stating
You wicked and lazy servant!
The first point of this is that if you do not sow anything then you cannot reap. The second issue of the servant was that he was AFRAID, he stated the following in verse 25:
so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Matthew 25:25
And because he had negative thinking HE DID NOTHING AND THEREFORE GOT NOTHING. Thinking that you are not worth anything will get you an equal harvest of nothing or coming out with what you already have, just like the third servant. Thinking that coming out with what you already have is what you deserve, while the other two servants doubled and tripped their money because they had no limits on what they thought they could do with the amount they had been given. While the third did not even think it was possible therefore limiting his own blessing.
Do you see the difference? Thinking that you are worth more and that you can get more, will make you work harder toward more. Thinking that you are not worth more, will allow you to subconsciously limit yourself. Bury your gifts in the sand and not allowing them to grow. Because you think those types of things are out of reach and therefore you do not even try. And no one has never become successful by not doing anything AT ALL. Also, check out my video down below where I talk more about this parable.
6. Negative Thinking Disorder ~ People Fall Into Negative Thinking Patterns Because They Have A lot of Fear
I wrote about how fear can hold you back in a previous blog (click here). I want to pick up from the previous parable of the three servants. Matthew 25:14-30
I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.
This is what the third servant said. That he was afraid. Some people subconsciously have fear about their abilities and so it is easier for them to stay in fear and talk themselves out of doing something then it is to step out of fear and allow themselves to do something.
When people negatively talk to themselves, what they are really saying is that I am afraid to do this, I am afraid I cannot do this, I am afraid that I will fail, or I am afraid of what people may think or what people may say (see my blog here), or I am afraid to be disappointed. And instead of admitting that to themselves that they are afraid and overcoming that fear and do it anyway they do nothing.
But the crazy thing about being fearful and not doing anything is the SAME result as doing something and failing. So if you knew that you were going to get the same result anyway, why not get rid of the negative self talk and at least try, at least with the trying you have a glimmer of hope of success.
7. Overcoming Negative Thinking Patterns And Negative Thinking Disorder
There are a few ways that you can overcome negative thinking patterns.
First, Catch yourself in the act.
Sometimes obvious and not so obvious negative thinking patterns are ingrained in our brain and there are things that we say to ourselves without even realizing it. The first step is that you need to realize it. You need to get in check whatever it is that you are saying to yourself that is negative or that is holding you back. And then you need to address it stop saying those thoughts. Say affirmations and instead of saying that you can’t say that you can. It sounds corny, but once you change what you say to yourself you will start to see how much damage you do to yourself with the negative types of thinking.
Second, Dare to Dream
I wrote a blog on daring to dream click here. I personally believe that if you can dream it then you can achieve it and there is a reason why you were given a dream. I do not believe that God would put a dream in your heart that was impossible to achieve. And as humans we have this great thing called an imagination why not use it. See it in your mind first, see it so much in your mind that your mind will start think of what it dreams instead of all those negative thought patterns.
Third, Do Not Put Limits on God
When you speak negatively to yourself and say that something cannot happen or it cannot happen to you or you are not good enough, you are putting limits on God. By saying that something will never happen you are saying that God cannot make it happen. Saying things cannot happen to you, you are saying that God cannot bless you. And God does not have limits. Or at least my God doesn’t.
So even if you feel that you have limits in your own right as a human being THEN at least say to yourself God doesn’t and ask him to help your unbelielf. Which I have a video on, if you are confused on what I am talking about. Watch that video below and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel by clicking here.
So what is the harm of daring to dream and then believing that it could come true and what is the harm of believing for something even though you can’t see the way that it will happen? That is what we call fight without sight. Knowing that it will happen, trusting that it will happen, and speaking it into existence (Romans 4:17). At least you would not be limiting yourself by limiting your thinking and therefore limiting success. And most importantly you would rid yourself of these negative thinking patterns.
If you know someone who could use this post then please feel free to share this information with them. Plus I have something for you that will help you with your negative thinking patterns. It is my Christian affirmation guide. Just click here or the picture below.
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