Over the years, many of the talking heads and pundits in the personal development and success science industry have talked about the immediate replacement of negative thoughts with positive thoughts. The logic behind that particular behavioral strategy seems to make sense on the surface. Think about it, when a negative thought rears its ugly head, we should immediately dive into the repository of positive thoughts that we have available to us so that we could immediately begin to dwell on it.

Even further, some gurus of the genre suggest removing any chance of having a negative thought by the constant repetition of affirmations. Again, tried-and-true motivational technology that is very workable and still useful. I would suggest, however, that you view the above behaviors as tactics more than strategies.

I will further suggest to you that you do not abhor your negative thoughts but rather embrace them, examine them, and place them under a spotlight. My reasoning behind this goes back over 100 years into psychology with stimulus/response, that is, the cause and effect of certain behaviors. Many individuals look at a negative thought as a causative driver. The negative thought exists as a cause, and our behavior toward that cause will determine the effect.

So, following this logic, if an individual has a negative thought which makes them feel sad, and that sadness causes them to binge drink, by removing the negative thought you’ll have removed the motivation for binge drinking. Doesn’t that sound kind of silly? The suggestion here is to turn off the negative thought so that it will turn off the consumption of alcohol.

Of course, this makes sense if we view the negative thought as a primal force in behavior. So, what if we started to think of the negative thought more as the result of something else? It means that the “something else” must change first. What if we took a different approach? What if we looked at a negative thought as an effect of some larger causal factor?

“You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.” – Joel Osteen

By reversing the cause-and-effect motion of negative thinking (saying that the negative thought is an effect), we now can ask a deeper, more penetrative question: Why are we thinking that negative thought? What is the underlying cause of that specific train of thinking? By reversing the cause-and-effect relationship of negative thinking, it allows the negative thinker to assume the role of diagnostician!

Below is a three-step process you can use to examine your negative thoughts, the role of it in your life, and how you can get rid of them:

1. Simply acknowledge the negative thought

Recognize the fact that there’s a negative thought in your mind instead of trying to go through a process of emotionally overlaying positive thoughts on top of it. Can you see how this exacerbates the issue? You have a negative thought, you immediately recognize that it must be changed, and you frantically scurry through the museum of your mind to find a positive thought to replace it.

In the meantime, while you are trying to find that positive thought, you’re feeling anxious, nervous, and guilty! When you finally find a positive thought to replace that negative thought, the normal process is to squash it. But you can’t! It’s like trying to get rid of weeds by covering them with rocks.

They will always find another way around the rock. It is the same with negative thoughts. Consequently, try acknowledging the negative thought.

2. Affirm the negative thought

It is a part of you. Instead of denying its existence, accept that it is there in front of you and that you are now willing to deal with it. If any of you reading this are dog lovers, you will know that the best way to get a dog next to you is by attempting to push it away from you. Every time you push the dog away it gets closer. This is the same with negative thinking because the harder you push the closer it gets.

“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan

3. Acquit the thought

Give it permission to leave you. Thank it for its past importance in your life and allow it to be on its way! At this point feel free to replace the negative thought with a positive thought. What will begin to happen when you place the negative thought under the spotlight is that you will see how insignificantly small it actually is.

This is a process I’ve been using for quite some time, and it works! Oh sure, I still use affirmations on a daily basis; as a matter fact I have them right here in front of me. I find that affirmations are a tremendous way to stay positive because it doesn’t allow any room for bad things to grow. But since the average person thinks 60,000 to 65,000 thoughts per day, let’s face it, a few negative thoughts have to squeak in there!

The best advice that I can give is to not freak out over a negative thought. Acknowledge it, affirm it, and acquit it! This is magic. Watch what happens!

How do you handle negative thoughts? Let us know your tips below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

Everyone wants more time, that is something almost all of us share. Time is the most valuable resource and when you learn how to make your time work for you and how to get the most out of it – you experience life differently.  

Improving how you manage your time is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself – it’s a real game changer in your business and personal life. There are many ways that you can get more productive and get the right things done sooner; but not all of them are obvious or bring the same results.

Here are 5 productivity shifts you want to make if you are trying to make the most out of 2019:

1. Ditch your to do list

Productive people don’t keep to-do lists, they schedule everything they need to do in their calendar and work directly from their calendar!  To-Do lists are just ineffective and they are impeding your productivity. A never ending list of items only leaves you overwhelmed and with a false sense of ‘productivity’.  

If you schedule your To Do’s directly into your calendar at a time to get them done, you commit to it and you are more likely to get it done. Less is more – you don’t need a separate list to remind you what you need to do.

“Productivity is less about what you do with your time and more about how you run your mind.” – Robin Sharma

2. Give up on motivation

Productive people don’t always have to be motivated before starting something. They balance discipline with motivation and do what they need to do, regardless of motivation. When we come up with resistance to take action on what we have planned, we might tell ourselves that we are not motivated and we believe that we need to be motivated to complete any task.

If you want to increase your productivity, you need to challenge yourself more in the moment to take action and give up on motivation sometimes. Do what you need to in order to get the results you want in the future. Don’t make decisions based on how you feel now, make them based on what result you are really after.

3. Master your mornings

Wake up early and get yourself into the productive mindset with your routine and diet! Productive people start the day with some sort of routine, whether it’s meditation, exercise or visualization, etc. AND they have a healthy breakfast to fuel them for the day. Your health is everything when it comes to productivity, what you eat directly affects your productivity.

We can just no longer ignore the direct connection any more. Get in the right mindset to start your day and fuel your mind and body to get the most out of it. Starting your day off in any other way undermines your success – there is no doubt.

4. Schedule according to energy

Productive people know their energy cycles and they plan tasks around their energy levels. Why plan something at a time when you know it will be hard to rise to the challenge? Schedule tasks that require focus and concentration for those times of day that you feel the best and you will find it’s easier to follow through and you will be at your best to perform. Identify your filler tasks and complete those when your energy drops. Be more realistic when scheduling your tasks and set yourself up for wins.

“Productivity is never an accident it’s the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning & focused effort.” – Paul Meyer

5. Working backwards

Productive people always focus on those activities that will take them to the next level. They plan backwards, they look at their goals, then identify the tasks they need to do to support those goals. Those tasks get broken down into weekly actions. That’s how they plan.

Don’t only plan on tasks that come in or those which you ‘feel’ or ‘think’ you should be doing. Your day needs to consist of at least one activity that directly supports your longer term objectives, your big project. What sounds like common sense is definitely not common practice.

Create the right habits to achieve your goals, work on adopting easy tips and techniques so you can manage your time and yourself better to get things done.

Tapping into this emotional state of being can make the difference between thriving or surviving in business and life. In today’s journey towards success, people are more apt to respond to a compassionate and caring individual than one too full of themselves.

Just do what I call the “holy scroll of social media” and you will have men and women seeking your attention. They have the magic pill, formula, or mixture that will lead you out of despair and into the promised land of prosperity.

Here’s one way to see if they are legit: Is there a tone of compassion in their written and verbal words? Do they really care about you as a person or simply give off the vibe of “ah, got another sucker to get my stuff?”

If you want to truly know how much a person can deeply care about people, then watch their actions. Many people run around, screaming from the tops of buildings and church steeples that “I am the one to follow.”

Stop chasing those people. They really don’t have their act together and lack compassion. People are drawn to those who are successful, prosperous, and abundant. It’s a natural drawing card. Those people have something that you want, so you follow them and take up their mannerisms like it’s some kind of gospel message.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

You have the ability to be an amazing success in business through using the power of compassion. So, why don’t more people do it? Well, it simply takes time and effort to become compassionate if your whole success model has been toward the profit margin. Anyone who owns or runs a business has to watch their finances, so it’s understandable. Yet, are you going to do so without thinking of others in a heartfelt way? That will come back to haunt you.

Compassion is the one thing that makes truly all-around successful people stand above the noise. People of great financial wealth like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have come to understand that philanthropy is a way of supporting advancements around the world. Anthony Robbins has taken portions of his own wealth and helped feed other people who don’t have the means to get their own groceries. In turn, look at the many community centers and religious and spiritual institutions that have been established for the sole purpose of being a light of compassion and care for those in their own darkness.

What does this have to do with having an attitude bent towards success? Everything. Right now, you have a powerful wellspring of compassion inside waiting to be shared. It is a way of life that transcends what you know from data and numbers.

Truly successful individuals dial within regularly and get in tune with the times. Compassion might feel like it is a lost art, but it is not. Compassion leaves people not only feeling better but having more of a get-to-it attitude instead of just going along and saying “whatever” to obstacles in their path.

You might be someone who just doesn’t know how to be compassionate. The concept feels and sounds foreign to you because all you have been fed is a bunch of “suck it up, buttercup” mentalities. At times, we all need a good kick in the behind to take action.

If you are a lost sheep who doesn’t even know where to start on the compassionate way of life, then here are three simple suggestions:

1. Be humble

Humility and humiliation are two different things so don’t get them mixed up here. Being humble is a state of being where you remember where you came from and feel a deep sense of gratitude for where you were and where you are now. People in businesses and corporations all over the world know that humility is a game-changing path toward success.

2. Be grateful

If you have two eyes and a heartbeat and are reading this article, then you have three reasons right there to be and feel grateful. One technique that I have found helpful in recent months is to simply say “thank you” upon waking up. Giving thanks for all the things in my life is a way of expressing inner gratitude in an outward way. You can do this in your very own business by saying “thank you” for more clients, more business, more income streams, more freedom, and so on.

“Compassion is an action word with no boundaries.” – Prince

3. Be a good listener

Do you wonder how in the world you can ever hear another person’s heart when they always seem to be talking? Stop talking so much and listen more. Look, a core strength of compassionate people is they tend to listen more and bark less. Success is what you make it up to be in your business and life. Notice, though, the action takers and their ability to truly listen, take in what they need, and let go of the rest. Listening to others with a compassionate and empathetic ear will lead you to the road of success.

Compassion is not just another silly marketing trend. It’s been around as long as humans have had a pulse. The measure of compassion that you give to others will be given back to you. This is seen over and over again in business and other places.

It’s a reciprocal circle of life. Compassion can open doors for you that you’d never thought of walking through at all. Tap into your own compassionate side and make a successful difference in other people’s lives.

Over the years, many of the talking heads and pundits in the personal development and success science industry have talked about the immediate replacement of negative thoughts with positive thoughts. The logic behind that particular behavioral strategy seems to make sense on the surface. Think about it, when a negative thought rears its ugly head, we should immediately dive into the repository of positive thoughts that we have available to us so that we could immediately begin to dwell on it.

Even further, some gurus of the genre suggest removing any chance of having a negative thought by the constant repetition of affirmations. Again, tried-and-true motivational technology that is very workable and still useful. I would suggest, however, that you view the above behaviors as tactics more than strategies.

I will further suggest to you that you do not abhor your negative thoughts but rather embrace them, examine them, and place them under a spotlight. My reasoning behind this goes back over 100 years into psychology with stimulus/response, that is, the cause and effect of certain behaviors. Many individuals look at a negative thought as a causative driver. The negative thought exists as a cause, and our behavior toward that cause will determine the effect.

So, following this logic, if an individual has a negative thought which makes them feel sad, and that sadness causes them to binge drink, by removing the negative thought you’ll have removed the motivation for binge drinking. Doesn’t that sound kind of silly? The suggestion here is to turn off the negative thought so that it will turn off the consumption of alcohol.

Of course, this makes sense if we view the negative thought as a primal force in behavior. So, what if we started to think of the negative thought more as the result of something else? It means that the “something else” must change first. What if we took a different approach? What if we looked at a negative thought as an effect of some larger causal factor?

“You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.” – Joel Osteen

By reversing the cause-and-effect motion of negative thinking (saying that the negative thought is an effect), we now can ask a deeper, more penetrative question: Why are we thinking that negative thought? What is the underlying cause of that specific train of thinking? By reversing the cause-and-effect relationship of negative thinking, it allows the negative thinker to assume the role of diagnostician!

Below is a three-step process you can use to examine your negative thoughts, the role of it in your life, and how you can get rid of them:

1. Simply acknowledge the negative thought

Recognize the fact that there’s a negative thought in your mind instead of trying to go through a process of emotionally overlaying positive thoughts on top of it. Can you see how this exacerbates the issue? You have a negative thought, you immediately recognize that it must be changed, and you frantically scurry through the museum of your mind to find a positive thought to replace it.

In the meantime, while you are trying to find that positive thought, you’re feeling anxious, nervous, and guilty! When you finally find a positive thought to replace that negative thought, the normal process is to squash it. But you can’t! It’s like trying to get rid of weeds by covering them with rocks.

They will always find another way around the rock. It is the same with negative thoughts. Consequently, try acknowledging the negative thought.

2. Affirm the negative thought

It is a part of you. Instead of denying its existence, accept that it is there in front of you and that you are now willing to deal with it. If any of you reading this are dog lovers, you will know that the best way to get a dog next to you is by attempting to push it away from you. Every time you push the dog away it gets closer. This is the same with negative thinking because the harder you push the closer it gets.

“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan

3. Acquit the thought

Give it permission to leave you. Thank it for its past importance in your life and allow it to be on its way! At this point feel free to replace the negative thought with a positive thought. What will begin to happen when you place the negative thought under the spotlight is that you will see how insignificantly small it actually is.

This is a process I’ve been using for quite some time, and it works! Oh sure, I still use affirmations on a daily basis; as a matter fact I have them right here in front of me. I find that affirmations are a tremendous way to stay positive because it doesn’t allow any room for bad things to grow. But since the average person thinks 60,000 to 65,000 thoughts per day, let’s face it, a few negative thoughts have to squeak in there!

The best advice that I can give is to not freak out over a negative thought. Acknowledge it, affirm it, and acquit it! This is magic. Watch what happens!

How do you handle negative thoughts? Let us know your tips below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

Everyone wants more time, that is something almost all of us share. Time is the most valuable resource and when you learn how to make your time work for you and how to get the most out of it – you experience life differently.  

Improving how you manage your time is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself – it’s a real game changer in your business and personal life. There are many ways that you can get more productive and get the right things done sooner; but not all of them are obvious or bring the same results.

Here are 5 productivity shifts you want to make if you are trying to make the most out of 2019:

1. Ditch your to do list

Productive people don’t keep to-do lists, they schedule everything they need to do in their calendar and work directly from their calendar!  To-Do lists are just ineffective and they are impeding your productivity. A never ending list of items only leaves you overwhelmed and with a false sense of ‘productivity’.  

If you schedule your To Do’s directly into your calendar at a time to get them done, you commit to it and you are more likely to get it done. Less is more – you don’t need a separate list to remind you what you need to do.

“Productivity is less about what you do with your time and more about how you run your mind.” – Robin Sharma

2. Give up on motivation

Productive people don’t always have to be motivated before starting something. They balance discipline with motivation and do what they need to do, regardless of motivation. When we come up with resistance to take action on what we have planned, we might tell ourselves that we are not motivated and we believe that we need to be motivated to complete any task.

If you want to increase your productivity, you need to challenge yourself more in the moment to take action and give up on motivation sometimes. Do what you need to in order to get the results you want in the future. Don’t make decisions based on how you feel now, make them based on what result you are really after.

3. Master your mornings

Wake up early and get yourself into the productive mindset with your routine and diet! Productive people start the day with some sort of routine, whether it’s meditation, exercise or visualization, etc. AND they have a healthy breakfast to fuel them for the day. Your health is everything when it comes to productivity, what you eat directly affects your productivity.

We can just no longer ignore the direct connection any more. Get in the right mindset to start your day and fuel your mind and body to get the most out of it. Starting your day off in any other way undermines your success – there is no doubt.

4. Schedule according to energy

Productive people know their energy cycles and they plan tasks around their energy levels. Why plan something at a time when you know it will be hard to rise to the challenge? Schedule tasks that require focus and concentration for those times of day that you feel the best and you will find it’s easier to follow through and you will be at your best to perform. Identify your filler tasks and complete those when your energy drops. Be more realistic when scheduling your tasks and set yourself up for wins.

“Productivity is never an accident it’s the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning & focused effort.” – Paul Meyer

5. Working backwards

Productive people always focus on those activities that will take them to the next level. They plan backwards, they look at their goals, then identify the tasks they need to do to support those goals. Those tasks get broken down into weekly actions. That’s how they plan.

Don’t only plan on tasks that come in or those which you ‘feel’ or ‘think’ you should be doing. Your day needs to consist of at least one activity that directly supports your longer term objectives, your big project. What sounds like common sense is definitely not common practice.

Create the right habits to achieve your goals, work on adopting easy tips and techniques so you can manage your time and yourself better to get things done.

Tapping into this emotional state of being can make the difference between thriving or surviving in business and life. In today’s journey towards success, people are more apt to respond to a compassionate and caring individual than one too full of themselves.

Just do what I call the “holy scroll of social media” and you will have men and women seeking your attention. They have the magic pill, formula, or mixture that will lead you out of despair and into the promised land of prosperity.

Here’s one way to see if they are legit: Is there a tone of compassion in their written and verbal words? Do they really care about you as a person or simply give off the vibe of “ah, got another sucker to get my stuff?”

If you want to truly know how much a person can deeply care about people, then watch their actions. Many people run around, screaming from the tops of buildings and church steeples that “I am the one to follow.”

Stop chasing those people. They really don’t have their act together and lack compassion. People are drawn to those who are successful, prosperous, and abundant. It’s a natural drawing card. Those people have something that you want, so you follow them and take up their mannerisms like it’s some kind of gospel message.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

You have the ability to be an amazing success in business through using the power of compassion. So, why don’t more people do it? Well, it simply takes time and effort to become compassionate if your whole success model has been toward the profit margin. Anyone who owns or runs a business has to watch their finances, so it’s understandable. Yet, are you going to do so without thinking of others in a heartfelt way? That will come back to haunt you.

Compassion is the one thing that makes truly all-around successful people stand above the noise. People of great financial wealth like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have come to understand that philanthropy is a way of supporting advancements around the world. Anthony Robbins has taken portions of his own wealth and helped feed other people who don’t have the means to get their own groceries. In turn, look at the many community centers and religious and spiritual institutions that have been established for the sole purpose of being a light of compassion and care for those in their own darkness.

What does this have to do with having an attitude bent towards success? Everything. Right now, you have a powerful wellspring of compassion inside waiting to be shared. It is a way of life that transcends what you know from data and numbers.

Truly successful individuals dial within regularly and get in tune with the times. Compassion might feel like it is a lost art, but it is not. Compassion leaves people not only feeling better but having more of a get-to-it attitude instead of just going along and saying “whatever” to obstacles in their path.

You might be someone who just doesn’t know how to be compassionate. The concept feels and sounds foreign to you because all you have been fed is a bunch of “suck it up, buttercup” mentalities. At times, we all need a good kick in the behind to take action.

If you are a lost sheep who doesn’t even know where to start on the compassionate way of life, then here are three simple suggestions:

1. Be humble

Humility and humiliation are two different things so don’t get them mixed up here. Being humble is a state of being where you remember where you came from and feel a deep sense of gratitude for where you were and where you are now. People in businesses and corporations all over the world know that humility is a game-changing path toward success.

2. Be grateful

If you have two eyes and a heartbeat and are reading this article, then you have three reasons right there to be and feel grateful. One technique that I have found helpful in recent months is to simply say “thank you” upon waking up. Giving thanks for all the things in my life is a way of expressing inner gratitude in an outward way. You can do this in your very own business by saying “thank you” for more clients, more business, more income streams, more freedom, and so on.

“Compassion is an action word with no boundaries.” – Prince

3. Be a good listener

Do you wonder how in the world you can ever hear another person’s heart when they always seem to be talking? Stop talking so much and listen more. Look, a core strength of compassionate people is they tend to listen more and bark less. Success is what you make it up to be in your business and life. Notice, though, the action takers and their ability to truly listen, take in what they need, and let go of the rest. Listening to others with a compassionate and empathetic ear will lead you to the road of success.

Compassion is not just another silly marketing trend. It’s been around as long as humans have had a pulse. The measure of compassion that you give to others will be given back to you. This is seen over and over again in business and other places.

It’s a reciprocal circle of life. Compassion can open doors for you that you’d never thought of walking through at all. Tap into your own compassionate side and make a successful difference in other people’s lives.