If you want to live a happy life, maintaining a positive mindset is essential. All it takes is one negative thought to multiply into several negative thoughts, causing your mind to spiral down a destructive path. By monitoring your internal self-talk and thought processes, you’ll be amazed by how much your life can change for the better.
Understanding Thought Multiplication
Think of thoughts as cells. Cells rapidly divide from an originating cell, so you don’t want a defective cell to continue making copies of itself in your body. The same goes for thoughts. As you think a negative or fear-based thought, it continues to divide into related thoughts, just like a cell making copies of itself. Even if you felt fine 10 minutes ago, one thought—like “my bank account is getting low”—will rapidly multiply.
Example of Thought Multiplication and How it Interferes with a Positive Mindset
- Initial Thought: My bank account is getting low.
- Subsequent Thoughts:
- There isn’t much left after paying the bills.
- How many days until I get paid?
- I’ll be broke for a week.
- I need a new job.
- How can I increase my money?
- I don’t have time for a second job.
- I can’t save money right now, so how will I ever buy a house or retire?
- I haven’t even started paying my student loans yet.
- What if an unexpected expense happens? I’m screwed.
These thoughts come so naturally that you might not recognize them as problematic. However, you can stop this downward spiral by recognizing your thinking pattern and changing it.
Changing Your Thought Pattern to a Positive Mindset
Instead of letting negative thoughts multiply, try to shift your mindset:
- Original Thought: My bank account is getting low.
- Positive Shift: More money is coming soon. I’m choosing to focus on today. I’m okay.
Even if you’re having financial difficulties, stressing about it is unlikely to change anything except your mood and distract you from a positive mindset.
This principle applies to all negative thoughts, which will duplicate if not stopped.
Monitor Shifts in Your Energy
The mind is a trickster, and all it takes is one seemingly insignificant occurrence to shift from inner calmness to a state of negativity. Imagine you’re sitting outside on a beautiful day, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze. In the background, kids are whining and arguing about something trivial. At this moment, you have to make a choice that affects your current state of being.
Choosing Your Focus
Where you place your attention is ALWAYS your choice. If your attention is on the kids whining and arguing, you’ll notice both mental and physical changes within your body: a tightness in your jaw, neck, and shoulders, an increased heart rate, and a shift away from the calmness you were experiencing.
Is this the kids’ fault? Absolutely not! The external environment does not conform to your need for inner peace. It’s your internal environment that needs to change regardless of external circumstances.
Empowering Yourself for a Positive Mindset
Nobody has the power to ruin your day except you. Read that again! Nobody has the power to ruin your day except you.
Some people are still reliving negative memories and thought patterns from 10, 25, or even 40+ years ago, allowing the past to impact their life now. Stop being a victim and take control of your life. Choose to focus on the good in life and watch your circumstances change for the better. Do this every day!
Exercises to Maintain a Positive Mindset
Just like physical exercises keep you fit, there are ways to keep your thoughts harmonious.
Meditation and Deep Breathing
If you feel yourself getting irritated, start meditating or practice deep breathing. Meditation doesn’t have to be done in lotus pose for 30 minutes. Just sit and focus on your breathing—deep inhalation through the nose and slow exhalation through the mouth—until the negative emotion diminishes.
Relive Happy Memories
Have a few favorite “feel good” memories in your joy arsenal to combat negative thoughts. Maybe it’s the day your child was born, when you brought home a new puppy, paid off a big debt, got a promotion, or learned a new skill. When you start to feel bad, relive those happy experiences in your mind until you notice a positive energy shift.
Find a Hobby
Find a hobby. There are many hobbies to choose from, and you can try multiple until you find one you enjoy. Dancing, gardening, painting, making outfits for your pet, beading—the list is endless. Walk around a hobby store and find something that looks fun.
Conclusion: How to Live a Happy Life with a Positive Mindset
All it takes is one negative thought to duplicate into multiple negative thoughts that can affect your day or even your life. By recognizing negative thoughts, you can turn them around and remain in a blissful state. Although your environment can change your mood and thoughts, it’s up to you to recognize shifts in your energy and choose to remain in a joyous state internally. If your thoughts are dominated by negative events from your past, let them go. You cannot have a great life while choosing to focus on victim thoughts from the past. Where you place your attention is always a choice. Meditation, visualization, and enjoyable hobbies are a few ways to stay positive and live a happy life.
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