Why not use gratitude to disrupt your negative thinking?
Negative thinking wields a significant influence. Initially, you might find yourself worrying or sensing injustice in the world. Initially reasonable, these concerns swiftly spiral out of control. Dark thoughts take on a life of their own, relentlessly echoing in your mind. “I’m certain I’ll lose my job, end up destitute, and no one will hire me again”. You become ensnared in a realm dominated by your own fixations.
These thoughts persist throughout the day and rudely awaken you at 5 a.m. Their intensity can be excruciating, making it nearly impossible to quell them. Your mental state feels fractured. If your thoughts were as faulty as a purchased appliance, you’d be at the store demanding a refund. Unfortunately, there’s no return policy for the complexities of the mind.
Gaining consciousness of negative thinking
Reflect on negative thinking—it’s a dynamic force in your consciousness, displacing positivity. Initially seeming rational, it often proves irrational upon reflection. This habit strengthens with practice, making it challenging to stop. But it’s your mind.
Why is controlling negative thinking so tough? Because it’s the manifestation of an internal adversary—Part X. Until you recognize it, you’re powerless. Picture your mind as a computer with an inherent virus threatening to erode everything.
Part X opposes the universe’s dynamic, positive nature, craving specialness at any cost. In a holistic universe, individual achievements are part of the whole, not independent. Part X uses your thoughts as a weapon, intensifying negativity, disconnecting you from the real world. You react to X, feeling spiritually blinded and alone.
The genuine, positive experience of an alive universe remains elusive as long as negativity holds you captive. With your assistance, Part X shatters reality.
Utilizing gratitude to change negative thoughts
Negative thinking often becomes a habit because those pessimistic thoughts feel familiar and easily identifiable. For instance, a chronic worrier finds comfort in thinking, “I know I’m doomed”. Despite the pain, it becomes a homey, familiar experience, reinforced by the inner voice (X) saying, “This is the real you; don’t resist”.
To counter this, you must discover a force within your soul stronger than negative thinking—gratefulness. Gratefulness appreciates the immediate reality, replacing negativity with thoughts about what truly exists. It acknowledges solid aspects of life as products of the interconnected whole, creating a positive, giving spiritual presence. Gratefulness allows you to reconnect with the system, breaking the isolation.
Unlike positive thinking, which often fixates on unrealized future events, gratefulness is grounded in the present reality. It’s not about conjuring happy thoughts for the future to escape worry. Instead, it’s a way to break through negativity, connecting with the present force of wholeness. Cultivating the habit of grateful thinking serves as a defense against negative thinking, fostering a connection with the positive force of the current moment.
A 30 second gratitute practice
Give this a try: Take about 30 seconds to reflect on things you’re grateful for. Focus not just on big things but also on everyday aspects often overlooked. “I’m grateful I can see, my children are healthy, my car started today, I had money for breakfast, I have hot water, I live in a democracy”. Explore new items—realize that even on your worst day, countless positive occurrences are unfolding, all gifts from the dynamic spiritual force underlying reality, always present, always creating, always stronger than Part X.
This exercise’s power lies in rewiring your mind, steering it into a highly creative motion mirroring the universe’s inherent movement. As grateful thoughts emerge, sense the energy within you creating them.
You begin to feel connected to the universe, gaining newfound confidence in controlling your mind. Negative thoughts dissolve, and, without realizing it, you prepare yourself for prayer—not a specific form tied to organized religion but a bridge into a higher place, independent of your spiritual beliefs.
