positive thinking thought #35
Develop a Mindset That Brings Happiness Bitterness is a sign of emotional failure. It paralyzes our capacity to do good. Set your own...
Bitterness is a sign of emotional failure.
It paralyzes our capacity to do good. Set your own standards. Be honest to
yourself. Compete against yourself. Do the following:
- Look for the positive in every person and in every situation.
- Resolve to be happy.
- Set your own standards judiciously.
- Develop an immunity to negative criticism.
- Learn to find pleasure in every little thing.
- Remember all times are not the same. Ups and downs are part of life.
- Make the best of every situation.
- Keep yourself constructively occupied.
- Help others less fortunate than yourself.
- Learn to get over things. Don't brood.
Develop the habit of giving yourself
positive self-talk. Auto-suggestions alter our belief system by influencing the
subconscious mind. Our behavior reflects our belief system. Hence
auto-suggestions affect our behavior by influencing our belief system. It
becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Examples:
- I can handle it.
- I can do it.
- I am good at math.
- I have a good memory.
Any strength overextended becomes a
weakness. For example, in sales, good speaking ability is a strength. It is not
uncommon to see salespeople with good speaking ability talk themselves into a
sale, then talk too much and talk themselves right out of the sale. Their
strength got them into it; however, overextended, it became a weakness and they
lost the sale. Listening is a strength. Overextended, however, it could mean
that a person listens a lot but does not speak enough. It becomes a weakness.
Anger is a weakness. How can it be turned
into a strength? One lady demonstrated by getting MADD! MADD stands for Mothers
Against Drunk Driving. This lady lost her child because of a drunk driver. She
got so angry that she resolved not to tolerate this kind of thing in society.
She organized people all over the United States to fight drunk driving. Today
she and her association have become a significant force, with thousands of
members, and are succeeding in their pursuit to change legislation in Congress.
That is turning a negative emotion, like anger, into a strength by doing
positive.
Have Patience
A lot of times we hear people saying that
one exposure to a positive or a negative material does not have any impact.
That is not true. The difference may not be visible but something is happening.
In China there is a bamboo tree which is
planted, watered and fertilized for the first four years and nothing happens.
There is no visible sign of growth. But sometime during the fifth year, the
bamboo tree grows about 90 feet in six weeks. The question is: Did the bamboo
tree grow in six weeks or did it take five years to grow even though there was
no visible sign it was taking root in the ground? When there was no visible
sign, if someone had stopped watering and fertilizing it, would this have
happened? Certainly not. The bamboo tree would have died. We need to learn from
nature and the lesson is pretty clear. Have patience and faith and keep doing
the right thing. Even though the results may not be visible, something is
happening.
Take Inventory: Make a List of All Your
Strengths and Weaknesses
Successful people realize their
limitations but build on their strengths. Unless we know these things, how can
we build on them? Focus on what you want to do and be, rather than what you
don't.
STRENGTHS
|
WEAKNESSES
|
The crux of self-esteem cannot be
expressed better than the following words by Abraham Lincoln.
WORLD, MY SON STARTS SCHOOL TODAY!*
World, take my child by the hand--he
starts school today!
It is all going to be strange and new to
him for a while, and I wish you would sort of treat him gently. You see, up to
now, he has been king of the roost. He has been the boss of the backyard. I
have always been around to repair his wounds, and I have always been handy to
soothe his feelings.
But now things are going to be different.
This morning he is going to walk down the front steps, wave his hand, and start
on a great adventure that probably will include wars and tragedy and sorrow.
To live in this world will require faith
and love and courage. So, World, I wish you would sort of take him by his young
hand and teach him the things he will have to know. Teach him-but gently, if
you can.
He will have to learn, I know, that all
people are not just that all men and women are not true. Teach him that for
every scoundrel, there is a hero; that for every enemy, there is a friend. Let
him learn early that the bullies are the easiest people to lick.
Teach him the wonder of books. Give him
quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun,
and flowers on a green hill. Teach him that it is far more honorable to fail
than to cheat. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells
him they are wrong.
Try to give my son the strength not to
follow the crowd when everyone else is getting on the bandwagon. Teach him to
listen to others, but to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and to take
only the good that comes through.
Teach him never to put a price tag on his
heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears on the howling mob-and to stand and
fight if he thinks he is right. Teach him gently, World, but do not coddle him,
because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
This is a big order, World, but see what
you can do. He is such a nice son.
--Abraham Lincoln
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