5 Ways to Think Naked!

We're often told about the importance of having a positive attitude.  But many of us find our efforts to stay positive are often thwarted by those pesky negative thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere and steal our joy and motivation.  Even worse, those toxic thoughts cause stress-induced illnesses and drive the behaviors that sabotage our efforts to reach out dreams.  But there is a way out of this downward spiral.  I offer you a 5 step process to get your mind NAKED of negative beliefs:
 

1) Recognize the high price you are paying for negative and toxic thoughts. As I mentioned above, research continues to prove that we pay an enormous price for stress-inducing negative thoughts.  There have been hundreds of studies conducted showing that stress contributes to a significant percent of major illnesses.

According to Healthy People 2000, a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cited these statistics:

• 70-80% of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related and stress-induced illness
• Stress contributes to 50% of all illness in the United States
• The cost of job stress in the U.S. is estimated at $200 billion annually, including costs of absenteeism, lost productivity, and insurance claims

2) Understand where negative thoughts come from.  In his fascinating book, Virus of the Mind, Richard Brodie tells us that toxic thoughts are contagious.   These negative thoughts, or mind viruses as he calls them, are spread from one mind to another through the spoken word.  Think about some of the negative and limiting beliefs you hold to be true.  Examples: "I'm not smart enough", "talented enough", or  "I'm too old", "too young",  "too fat", "too thin", etc.  We pick these thoughts up from the time we're very young, from our parents, teachers, and other adults who mean well, but instill limiting beliefs in us.  We pick up other negative beliefs from classmates, siblings, coworkers, from angry confrontations:  "you're a loser like your father"  "you're a slob", "you never do anything right".  Sound familiar?  And then there's the media:  "real estate values are on the decline", "unemployment continues to rise", "is the food you're eating making you sick"?  We take all this in and we conclude that these negative and limiting beliefs must be true because we were told so by reliable sources.  Once these thoughts are played back to us from our own minds and in our own voices, we never even consider that these thoughts could be downright lies!!

3) Write down your negative thoughts and throw them away! Keep going until you've stripped them all off!  In my workshops, we make a great game of this and we call it the Skinny Dippin Exercise.  Now you may be thinking that this sounds like fun, but what happens when they come right back?  Well, first you need to recognize that it is more than likely that they will come back.  Research shows that we think 30 to 60 thousand thoughts per day and that 80% are negative.  You've  built up these negative beliefs  over a lifetime, you won't rid yourself of them overnight, so it's important to be gentle with yourself and not give yourself something else to feel guilty about.  Keep writing them down and throwing them off. 

Think of it as mental hygiene.  You practice personal hygiene, like bathing and brushing your teeth every day, don't you?

4) Challenge Your Thoughts.  Take some time to unpack the negative thoughts that are causing you the most pain or are holding you back from accomplishing your dreams.  Examine these thoughts one by one, and ask yourself if the thought is even true.  Can you really be certain that it is true?  If you're not absolutely sure, then the chances are that the thought could be true or not true.  Next ask yourself if the turnaround thought could be true.  For instance, "I'm not smart enough" becomes "I know enough to get started on my project, and I can learn anything else I need to know".  Now ask yourself which thought moves you toward your goal and which thought holds you back.  If either thought is likely to be true, why not think the thought that is going to help you reach your goal?

5) Replace the Negative Thoughts with Positive Thoughts. Start building a library of motivational materials and biographies of successful people.  Study their methods, because as my mentor Jack Canfield, likes to say, "success leaves clues".  You'll find that super successful individuals like Walt Disney, Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar all overcame obstacles in their personal lives and still managed to achieve their dreams.  They did it with no more talent, luck or opportunity than anyone else.  They did it by replacing their negative and limiting beliefs with powerful and positive thoughts.  This allowed them to take advantage of their talents, and to seize opportunities so that they could achieve their dreams. You can too,if you think you can! 

Use All of Your Senses to Enjoy February!

All the best nutritionist encourage us to eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.  Of course they're right, we do need to feed our bodies healthy foods.  We also need to feed our minds and souls.   

Here's 5 & 1/2 ways to experience the world around you and enjoy a well fed mind:
 
 

Sight!  - snow and ice make for treacherous travel, I agree.   But just once this winter, observe it as a child does.  Take a sheet of black paper outside and catch a few snowflakes.  Take the time to really appreciate the different shapes and sizes.

Sound!  - my friend Joni recently remarked about how the trees in her neighborhood were groaning under the weight of the ice laden branches.  Have you ever been in a place silent enough to actually hear a sound like this?  If not, you owe it to yourself to find a way to allow nature talk to you!  I'll be waiting to hear all about it!

Smell! - I was teaching a Lean retreat in Atlanta recently and the resort where the event was held boasted several huge wood burning fireplaces. The aroma was heavenly! I was ready to trade in my gas fireplace on the spot!  If wood fires don't appeal to you, this is a perfect time of year to inhale the fragrances of roses, chocolate and strawberries!  Don't forget the clean, fresh smell of winter air.  It will be gone before you know it! 

Taste! - Go ahead ans sniff those chocolates and then dive in a have a piece!  Remember the dark ones have antioxidants that make them actually good for you!  Try a different coffee or creamer this month.  International Delight has a few new flavors for your coffee and Hershey has a candy kiss you're sure to love. 
 

Touch! - next to my granddaughters' chubby cheeks and hands, I love to stroke the fur on my Dacshunds' ears.  Other winter touch sensations? Dip your toes in the snow, break an icicle off the porch and notice the smooth surface.   How about the feel of a good hot shower, or a fuzzy pair of slippers? Go find your own favorites, and report back on what you find!

Gratitude - exercise your mind and examine all you have to be grateful for this month.  I'm grateful for a warm house, furry mittens, a toasty fireplace, giggly babies on sleds, classes to teach, and the health to enjoy it all.  I'm feeling very blessed.  How about you?
 

Here's what folks are saying about Leap Years: