The Power of Thoughts - How to Activate Mind Over Matter

How many times we have to regret over what we did? 

What was the reason behind our reaction? 

If you go deeper, you will come to know that it was a single thought that made it happen.

We all have heard about thoughts. Now let's learn about the Types of Thoughts.

       

Positive Thoughts - Your Best Companion

We are aware of the fact that having positive thoughts channelizes our energy in right direction. Since ages, we have been learning about the power of positive thoughts like mercy, joy, bliss, excitement, appreciation and gratitude. It is said if you think good then you are actually creating the waves to make the good happen. Before sleeping, you should have lots of positive thoughts in your mind. As soon as you wake up, just think positive about the day and restore energy for the day. During this time, our subconscious mind is awake and follows our instructions.

Negative Thoughts - Your Worst Enemy

The emotions of fear, anxiety, anger, greed and envy are categorized as negative thoughts. In today's fast-paced world, we strictly need to refrain from it. Such thoughts not only squeeze our energy but also have a bad impact on our health. Thankfully, we human beings are blessed with brain that helps us to differentiate the thoughts. So, whenever there is any thought that brings turmoil to you, put a full stop and try to divert your attention immediately.

Waste Thoughts - Your Energy-Drainers

This may seem unusual to most people. Generally, thoughts are categorized in two sections-positive thoughts and negative thoughts. But there is another category which says there are Waste Thoughts as well. Imagine, you are irritated by a particular situation or a person but you are unable to change it. Just because he does not act as per the image you have in your mind, you get disturbed and this goes on for days, months and sometimes for years. Such thoughts are simply waste thoughts; you do not have control over few people or few circumstances. So, it is better to refrain from wasting your energy on such situations.

Watch Your Thoughts!

Do I need to keep an eye on my thoughts? Yes, you should. It is very simple unlike it appears. How can I do this? It does not require so much energy or consideration. It simply takes one thought. You should decide that for one day, I will be observing my thoughts and that's it. This small experiment will be an eye-opener for you. Just do it and improve the quality of your thoughts. A good thought can change the world. We have seen the examples from history which states there was just one thought behind great inventions. Now, it is our turn to make our life worth-living. Let's live a quality life by changing our thoughts.

Uma M Singh has been writing on different subjects for 8 years. She expresses great interest in topics that can lead to self-improvement and life-enhancement. Know more about her http://www.connectwithuma.blogspot.in

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How do thoughts and emotions affect health?

Emotions that are freely experienced and expressed without judgment or attachment tend to flow fluidly. On the other hand, repressed emotions (especially fearful or negative ones) can zap mental energy and hope and lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure or digestive disorders.

Therefore, it's important for us to recognize and identify our thoughts and emotions, and to be aware of the impact they have—not only on each other, but also on our bodies, behavior, and relationships. As our awareness increases, we find it easier to recognize what we are thinking, how we are feeling, and our attitude towards the experience. We can then choose to adjust our thoughts and emotional responses.

Negativity and physical health

Chronic stress from negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can upset the body's hormone balance and deplete the brain chemicals required for feelings of happiness, as well as have a damaging impact on the immune system. New scientific understandings have also identified the process by which chronic stress can actually decrease our lifespan by shortening our telomeres (the “end caps” of our DNA strands, which play a big role in aging). 

Poorly managed or repressed anger (hostility) is also related to a slew of health conditions, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, and infection. 

The importance of positivity

Scientist Barbara Fredrickson has shown that positive emotions have two important effects: they broaden our perspective of the world (thus inspiring more creativity, wonder, and options), and they build up over time, creating lasting emotional resilience and flourishing.

Dr. Fredrickson has spent years researching and publishing the physical and emotional benefits of positivity, including faster recovery from cardiovascular stress, better sleep, fewer colds, and a greater sense of overall happiness. The good news is not only that positive attitudes—such as playfulness, gratitude, awe, love, interest, serenity, and feeling connected to others—have a direct impact on health and wellbeing, but that we can develop them ourselves with practice.

However, in our wish to defend against threat and loss in life, we tend to prioritize bad over good.While this is a tidy survival mechanism for someone who needs to stay hyper vigilant in a dangerous environment, the truth is that for most of us, this "negativity bias" means that we spend time ruminating over the minor frustrations we experience—bad traffic, a disagreement with a loved one—and ignoring the many chances we have to experience wonder, awe, and gratitude throughout the day.

Fredrickson has calculated that in order to offset the negativity bias and experience a harmonious emotional state, we need to experience three positive emotions for every negative one. This, she claims, can be done intentionally for those of us less “wired” to positivity.  These positive emotions literally reverse the physical effects of negativity and build up psychological resources that contribute to a flourishing life.

Forgiveness

The attitude of forgiveness—fully accepting that a negative circumstance has occurred and relinquishing negative feelings surrounding the event—can be learned and can lead us to experience better mental, emotional and physical health. The Stanford Forgiveness Project trained 260 adults in forgiveness in a 6-week course.

• 70% reported a decrease in their feelings of hurt
• 13% experienced reduced anger
• 27% experienced fewer physical complaints (for example, pain, gastrointestinal upset, dizziness, etc.)

The practice of forgiveness has also been linked to better immune function and a longer lifespan. Other studies have shown that forgiveness has more than just a metaphorical effect on the heart: it can actually lower our blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health as well.

Gratitude

Acknowledging the good aspects of life and giving thanks have a powerful impact on emotional wellbeing. In a landmark study, people who were asked to count their blessings felt happier, exercised more, had fewer physical complaints, and slept better than those who created lists of hassles.

Brené Brown has found that there is a relationship between joy and gratitude, but with a surprising twist: it’s not joy that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us joyful. 

Emotional resilience

Dr. Andrew Weil describes resilience as being like a rubber band—no matter how far a resilient person is stretched or pulled by negative emotions, he or she has the ability to bounce back to his or her original state. Resilient people are able to experience tough emotions like pain, sorrow, frustration, and grief without falling apart—in fact, some people are able to look at challenging times with optimism and hope, knowing that their hardships will lead to personal growth and an expanded outlook on life.

Resilient people do not deny the pain or suffering they are experiencing; rather, they retain a sense of positivity that helps them overcome the negative effects of their situation. Positive emotions have a scientific purpose—to help the body recover from the ill effects of negative emotions. Thus cultivating positivity over time can help us become more resilient in the face of crisis or stress.

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reference:

Expert Contributor: 

 Karen Lawson, MD

Reviewed by: 

 Archelle Georgiou, MD; Kate Hathaway, PhD; Sue Towey, RN, CNS, MS, LP

Positive Success

Positive Attitude = Success

The reality is, the more positive your thoughts are, the more positive results you will achieve in anything you do. Keeping a positive attitude means the difference between your success and failure in anything. If you are an accountant, having a very negative attitude can cause many problems. You need to focus, be happy, and be excited! Love what you do! Here are 5 great tips to help you maintain a life-long positive attitude!

Tip #1 - Understand You Create Your Destiny - You and only you decide your lives outcome. If you want that promotion at work, get it. If you want a raise, get it. If you want to work from home and make tons of money, do it! If you want to be in the NBA, do it. The only thing that is stopping you, is you! Figure out what YOU want to do, regardless of any other circumstance, and then go towards your goal! Understand the world literally is your oyster. If you get fired from work, is that really a bad thing? Take a step back and think long and hard. Was that job even making you happy? Maybe you losing your job was an opportunity for you to take your life and accomplishments to the next level and design them in a way that satisfies your every need. Tackle each day knowing YOU are changing your destiny every hour. If you are positive, happy and calm you can go towards this goal consistently and stress free! Keeping focused if an important factor to success and remaining positive will ensure you are focused and ready for anything.

Tip #2 - Surround Yourself With Like-Minded Positive People - If you surround yourself by 'Negative Nancys' or 'Naysayers', their negativity will attract to you. Negativity and positivity are both very contagious! So, surround yourself by positive and happy people! In addition, try to surround yourself with positive, like-minded people. People who have the same goals as you do and the same dreams. It's much easier to accomplish your life goals when you have a support team of great friends by your side every step of the way spreading positive vibes!

Tip #3 - Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! - Have you ever went the entire day telling yourself you were going to exercise but never actually got around to doing it? Maybe you need to figure out what is really important in life. Your body needs exercise! If you feel sick three times a week, you probably don't exercise enough! Lack of exercise makes you sick! It ruins your body slowly. So take 15 minutes and just exercise! You will love the feeling afterwords! I promise! Exercise releases many positive chemicals into your bloodstream! So, allow your body to do what it needs to naturally.

Tip #4 - Challenge Yourself! - Stick with me! Just hear me out! Challenge yourself to complete everything you do. Always give 110% and never any less. You will be amazed at how much you can physically, mentally, and emotionally really withstand. For most people, for whatever reason, forget how amazing they really are. They think they are less productive than they really can be. I personally have experimented with this concept. I have stayed up for several days, working non-stop, just to see how long it took before I absolutely got to a point to where I couldn't continue. Of course, I had minor breaks to eat and relax for twenty minutes, but for the most part it was nothing but work! After about 74 hours, I realized I was done due to my vision being to blurry to continue. But I could feel the muscle in my mind building. I woke up (after sleeping for what seemed like a hibernation) feeling incredible and unstoppable!! It was a terrific feeling. Going through it was hell, but absolutely rewarding. With that happening, I came to the realization that I can do anything I want, no matter how hard or complex. I am no better than anybody, but I'm no worse either. Challenge yourself! See for yourself just how incredible you really are!

Tip #5 - Use Positive Language! - The words you use on a daily basis can mean the difference between a positive and negative attitude. If somebody asks how your day is, respond clear, loud, and proud! Say your day is "Absolutely Fantastic!" Positive words boost your positively and the others around you! Little things like this can make a huge difference. Use positive words and try to use bigger words. You will feel more knowledgeable and more professional, no matter what your occupation is. Using bigger, better words makes your entire brain feel better!

These 5 Ways To Maintain A Positive Attitude Will NOT Work If You Do Not Implement Them!

Challenge yourself like you never have before! The grass is greener on the other side because your neighbor wakes up every morning and waters it.

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