Manipulating Thoughts

As a human being, one of the few things you have some control over are your thoughts. Oh, you don't always choose every thought that come racing into conscious awareness, but as soon as you become aware of it you can make a choice. You can choose to wallow in whatever thought crossed your mind, hang onto it, ponder it, and make yourself almost sick (if it is a negative thought). That's definitely one option and many people select it, seeming to get some type of perverse pleasure in wallowing in loss and scarcity. There is another option, however. You can recognize the negative thought and say to yourself, "Oh, there's that old thought again. Let it go. Instead, you are thinking that although everyone experiences some loss in life, there are many other people who are still alive on this planet. There is still life out there. The best thing about the past is that it is in the past; the best thing about the future is that it is waiting right in front of you." Studies have shown that self-talk can be more effective when using the word "you" rather than "I." It's a way to depersonalize thoughts a bit and picture yourself collaborating with your brain to achieve a happy and productive life right now.