I have spent the last few weeks putting this to practice and can I just say, it’s a game changer?
Historically I fought the negative thoughts. I overlaid them with affirmations. I ignored or tried to silence them, but nothing works like simply thinking good thoughts.
Why is it important to think about these things? Besides the obvious need for peace of mind, here’s why. When your thoughts are negative, your actions, plans, and intentions will be directed towards addressing the negative thoughts. We have heard that 90% of what we fear does not happen. This means we spend our time working on something that will never materialise. That’s not simply a waste of time, it is a waste of our destiny. Its worse than getting a parking ticket daily. Its the adult equivalent of dropping your ice cream cone when you know you won’t get a replacement. Granted I know one or two adults who’d throw a tantrum at dropping their ice-cream but that’s beside the point.

It is difficult to think positively when you have a pressing concern staring you in the face. Difficult but not impossible. In a previous post, I shared about using your emotions as a tool to press on.

I arrived at this juncture because my back was up against the wall and I had no choice but to trust God. I’d played my last card. I recalled the goodness of God, remembered that He had been faithful in the past and I chose to place all my bets with Him.

Try it. Think only positive thoughts on day one. Each time a negative thought comes- even when it’s true, throw it out and replace it with its opposite. This does not mean we shirk our responsibilities and ignore the important, instead, we deal with it while thinking about anything that is true, noble, right, excellent praiseworthy, lovely, admirable. My goals and dreams fall into this category. Expecting success and not failure also falls into this area. Thinking the best of people, not the worst can be added to it too. The following day, repeat.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8

The Message version puts it this way: —the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.