Thoughts: Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.
Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it. This is a subject that is gaining popularity.
It is quite common to hear people say: "Think positive!", to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective. How many people do you know, who stop to think what the power of positive thinking means?
8 Practices that lead to Positive Thinking by Jinjee Talifero from The Garden Diet and what we practice on the 21 Day Cleanse.
1. A Good Start:
Start each day off with positive thinking, through a prayer of gratitude, meditation, journaling, or making a list of things your are thankful for.
2. Affirmations:
You don't have to do these now, but whenever you choose. It could be when you need to drum up some positive thoughts. Or it could be when you are feeling really happy and want to capture and expand this feeling in to more of your life!
…Make a list of positive affirmations, things you like about yourself, your immediate family members, and others you interact with regularly.
…Make a list of things affirming your faith in the Universe…I am loved, My greatest good along with the greatest good of all is always being met, everything works together for the good, there are not very many real emergencies, etc…
…Make a list of affirmations of things you love….I love life, I love people, I love my family, etc…
…Make a list of things you enjoy….I enjoy going out with a good friend, I enjoy walks in nature, I enjoy playing with my kids, etc….
…Make a list of things you want. Now make a list converting each of these things in to an affirmation, as though you already have it, or its already on its way.
These are all the types of things we think about, and by doing affirmations on paper, you are programming your brain to actually start thinking about things in a positive light.
3. Discipline:
"You can not afford the luxury of a negative thought". Since thoughts are habits, one negative one can snowball in to a totally negative mind-state. If you know the thoughts that set you off, you can banish them the moment they set in. I tell myself, I feel pretty good right now, and I deserve to keep feeling good, so I would rather not think that thought. Sometimes it doesn't go away right away, but I just don't give it any energy, and so it goes eventually.
You know the old Indian story about the Grandfather who tells his Grandson about a battle going on inside him between two wolves, one who is greedy, frightened, and angry, and one who is kind, peaceful, and loving. "Which one will win?" asks the Grandson. And his Grandfather answers: "The one I feed".
4. Prayer:
You can not be too negative when you are talking to the Creator of the Universes. It tends to bring out the best in us. And positive mind-states will come upon us sooner or later as a result of prayer.
5. Meditation:
Sitting or lying and focusing on our breathing for 5-15 minutes, or longer, we can just watch our thoughts and observe them without judging them. It is as though we are a third party outside of our mind, just noticing what is going on there.
6. Doing What We Love:
Doing what we love will make us happy, and when we're happy our thoughts are positive. If possible, make a career of the thing you love doing. Otherwise, spend an hour a day doing what you love, - ideally the first hour. You'll find yourself thinking more positively automatically.
7. Loving What We Do:
When we put our full attention and effort on something, we can't help but love it. So, whatever we find ourselves doing in life, do it without fear, and with all the caring we can muster. Positive thoughts will automatically follow.
8. Faith, The Final Frontier:
After practicing all kinds of things for positive thinking, I wound up realizing that my missing link was faith. I realized that I had stopped having faith. I don't know when it happened. I'm all for personal religious experience vs. church, but I guess one of the risks of being away from association with other religionists is that you can forget your faith. I was still praying. Still giving thanks. But I had purposely thrown myself in to matters of material living because I have a tendency to keep my head in the clouds otherwise.
For a while I was so worried about business it was starting to affect my health and sanity. One day during this long period of struggle and strife I suddenly realized that I was not having faith. The idea hit me like a ton of bricks. Wow, I can't believe that I forgot to have faith!
And suddenly my faith came pouring back in to me. Of course everything is going to be OK. Of course everything is happening in perfect divine order. And of course there is nothing to fear. I am taken care of, I am loved, I am receiving exactly the lessons I need, there is nothing I can't handle, I am part of the divine plan in which the greatest good of all beings is being taken in to consideration.
And by thinking these types of thoughts we activate something that makes it so.
I think that I had faith before, but not "living faith". "Faith" can be a noun, something that you possess. But "living faith" is active, a verb.
I am of no particular religious persuasion. But I am interested in all religions. I think that no matter what religious or spiritual practices we have, that we can all access faith. We can all believe in a higher power or our own higher power. This is faith. Knowing that it is not just us in control of our life. That we can ask for help, that we can receive help, that we are loved and cared for, that the Universe is on our side. And being open to this help, this love. And trusting it.
I think most people have had an experience of a benevolent "presence". Or they have had fleeting glimpses of some power outside of themselves helping and affecting their lives.
If not a "believer" in a higher power outside of ourselves, perhaps one could imagine a Unified Consciousness, in which all humans are joined as One. This Consciousness could be made of Love, and one could have faith in this greater Oneness of humanity.
Rev. Michael Beckwith has stated, "Reverence for the body temple as a vehicle of the Spirit that lives in, as, and through us is reflected through how we care for the body in terms of balanced nourishment from food....." - http://www.agapelive.com
Copyright The Garden Diet, 2010
Author: Jinjee Talifero
For more from this author see: http://www.TheGardenDiet.com
Challenges: “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” - Buddha
Triumphs: Engage in group activities that further transformation.
What I Ate Today:
Breakfast: The juice of 2 grapefruits and 2 oranges.
Lunch: Grapes and a mango.
Dinner: Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds.
Dessert: A delicious sweet pear!
Snacks: Green and red grapes.
Exercise: A run and a dance in the morning and working, moving, all day on set of "Squidman".
157 days to go!!!
Introduction by www.successconsciousness.com/index_000009.htm
Visit: www.theearthdiet.org
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