How do you stop the train of negative thoughts? Be Thankful
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How do you stop the train of negative thoughts? Be Thankful

November 22, 2020

By April Young Blackwell, Fellow Life Traveler, Inspired by the Season.

Thanksgiving 2020 is in four days which has naturally led to the topic of this blog. A lot has been said on the topic of Gratitude and Thankfulness. We have heard the pharse "Have an Attitude of Gratitude!" over and over again.

I would like you take a moment right now to reflect on what you are truly thankful for. Ponder it. See it. Close your eyes. Let the people, places, and things play out like a movie in your mind.

Feel it. Take some deep breaths and stay here for as long as you like. Do you sense an energy shift?

After you have done this exercise, I expect your energy will be l]higher, and the smile that you felt on your heart will also appear on your face.

A simple meditation like this can stop negative energy in its tracks.

Like attracts like.

If you are feeling tension about something, you are sparking the creation of negative thoughts. Once that pathway is lit up, watch out! You set off a chain reaction that attracts more and more negative thoughts toward you. The culmination of these negative thoughts can actually materialize in ways that really make your day go sideways.

We have all had one of "those days" where we exclaim utterly exasperated, "Can THIS day get any worse?!" And then it seems the universe smacks you in the face which confirms your suspicions and your day actually gets worse!

In Robin Sharma's book, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, one of the principles discussed is the importance of rejecting negative thoughts as soon as they occur. The monks at the center of this fable would go to extremes to thwart negative thinking. At one point, they hiked to freezing waterfalls and stand under the icy water as a way to defeat negativity.

If you are human, you are going to have negative thoughts. It's part of our “survivor” instinct. However, if you want to find out what the best version of you is…if you want to tap into your God-given potential… kicking out these negative thoughts is essential.

A little more than 2-years ago, Mark Dupont visited my church and gave a sermon that forever changed my life. As I look back on it now, I can understand it on a whole new level.

In summary, Mark talked about "downward spirals" and "upward spirals." We all experience deep, life altering pain at some point in our lives. At the time of Mark's sermon, I was living through mine. I realized that day, I was at the bottom of my downward spiral. If you have read my blogs, you know I am no longer living in the valley of despair. Thank GOD!

But on any given day, most of us flirt with getting to that place.

The downward spiral begins with negativity. It then grows and grows and grows, until what started off in negative feelings ends in hopelessness, anxiety, and depression.

When you reach the bottom of a downward spiral, there is only one way out. For me, the only way out was a sincere gut-wrenching soul surrender to God. Mark had given me hope. He said that in the darkness we can hear God calling us toward Him. Once we let go and let God, and we put our trust in Him we can start transcending and moving in an upward spiral into our true joy and greatness.

That's what I did. It felt like a Trust Fall. I totally let go of all that negative baggage I was carrying and put it all in God's hands. I asked for tools and resources to show me and guide me through. This blog is dedicated to many of those tools and resources and the people that have been put in my life.

I want to say that I now spend most of my time I live at the top of my spiral. But, for me to say it is 100% of the time and that I never feel pain, frustration, impatience, or aggravation would be a complete lie.

The greatest gift God has given me is the power of awareness and understanding.

I now know how downward spirals begin. Because I have been there, I promise you, I am not going back. I don't want to visit the downward spirals. Not even for a second.

No, thank you.

I'm joyful being in my happy place.

Through the insights of the monks in Sharma's incredible fable, I know how to STOP the formation of a negative spiral.

Awareness of my thoughts. Control of my thoughts. Replacement of positive thoughts for negative thoughts. This knowledge has been invaluable to me.

Think about an awesome day you've had, where everything went your way. Chances are that day started with something good. Everything stemmed from that feeling.

Like attracts like.

Positive thoughts attract more and more positive thoughts. When that happens we have amazing days! We think to ourselves, "My life was magical today!" When we are living in our purpose and on purpose, every day can be magical.

When I become aware of tension in an area of my life, I immediately get to work on reversing the trend.

Thankfulness has the power to stop the negative forces of attraction. Thankfulness raises your energy level above the current circumstances creating the tension. Closing your eyes and taking deep breaths helps you to relax and focus on what you are thankful for. As you get back in control of your thoughts, you can begin attracting what it is you really want rather than the things you don't want.

Thanksgiving (the Holiday) is always the fourth Thursday of November in the USA. Even so, giving thanks can be done—and needs to be done—regularly. It's good for your mental health. It's good for your heart. It's good for your relationships. It's good for your soul.

If you are reading this right now, and you are feeling you are in or near the valley of despair, you are not alone. My thoughts and prayers are with you. The God that made you and me is standing by, waiting for you to let go and let Him work miracles in your life. Our human strength is limited, but our Divine strength is unlimited.

Stop trying to do it all alone. Surrender. Let go of it all. Trust in Him. I did. And it was the best gamble I ever made.

May you all be blessed and enjoy Thanksgiving 2020.

Give thanks everyday!

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