Dear Mr. Morton- I’m a husband and father of two boys. Due to a bad upbringing, I’ve always had trouble feeling good about myself. Opportunities seem to pass me by. How can I make things improve?- S.L.
Dear S.L.- We become what we think about. What we achieve and don’t achieve are directly related to our personal thoughts. If you diligently work on changing your negative thoughts into positive ones, you will eventually become a different person.
Dear S.L.- We become what we think about. What we achieve and don’t achieve are directly related to our personal thoughts. If you diligently work on changing your negative thoughts into positive ones, you will eventually become a different person.
Why? Because humans have the ability for creative imagination- it’s holed up within many of us, but is suppressed by passive TV viewing and by a civilization which carries out vital functions for us and bestows bounties upon us…with little mental sweat required. A study of the 400 most prominent people of the 20th century, like Thomas Edison, Helen Keller and Eleanor Roosevelt, unveils how crucial our thoughts are in determining our fate. Three-fourths of those dignitaries utilized creative thinking to overcome personal tragedies, terrible frustrations and debilitating handicaps to achieve their victories.
You can overcome your childhood traumas and the resultant mental baggage you still carry around. Try writing down your personal thoughts- what you’d like to achieve and contribute, your long-range goals and aspirations…paint a picture of your ideal life. Then, rephrase it, not as a wish list, but as if you’re already there, describing how it feels to have your dreams actualized. This is your first creation- in your mind.
Next, use creative imagination to make your goals begin to materialize in the real world (second creation). Set yourself up for success! Plan for frequent wins by breaking your long-range goals down into shorter, easily-reachable ones. These initial victories are actually mental coup d’états against your negative belief system that holds you back, a kind of cognitive rebellion.
Utilizing creative imagination will dissolve your past mistakes and enable you to create your own opportunities instead of waiting for them to knock…which they rarely do.
Here's some useful information for more help in ridding yourself of Negative Thoughts:
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S., has retired from his positions of school psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership and Policy Studies at BGSU. Contact him at the free and secure Bpath Mail Form at the top of the Family Journal site.
