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Positive Thinking Techniques

Deepa Kartha
Unless and until you decide that it is time for you to step up for yourself, get rid of all the negative thoughts and energy, and be positive for your own good, none of the tips and tricks mentioned on any website or in any book, audio CD, or newspaper article are going to help you. But, once you know what you want and are determined to get it, nothing can stop you. Come up with your own ideas and activities that help you the best in staying positive and get going.
Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results. - James Allen
Failure is a part of life, and feeling depressed when we are not able to achieve something is quite normal. However, if we continue to brood over our failure for a long time, we may lose our self-confidence and start thinking we cannot do anything worthwhile. This is where positive thinking becomes important.
Many people, including our family and friends, advise us to be positive at every point of time, no matter what. However, a lot of times, circumstances may make this difficult, and we start brooding about how everything goes wrong in our life and that nothing will ever be right.
It is in times like this that we need to understand that life is never going to be smooth and simple. Each and every individual has problems in his/her life. However, have you ever thought why do some succeed, while others always remain where they are? The answer to this question is positive thinking.
People who think positively have an optimistic approach towards everything in life and see problems as opportunities to prove themselves. However, positive thinking is not something that is meant only for a select few. Everyone should learn to think positively with the help of certain techniques.
Human beings have the habit of brooding and self pitying when things go wrong in life. However, we forget the many good things that we are lucky to have.
So, the next time you come across such situations, list down the things that you are privileged to have in life. This can include a loving family, friends, a comfortable home, a good life partner, etc. Going through this list everyday will help you feel good about yourself and make you positive.
List down the negative things about you and your surroundings. Once you make the list, try to change those habits or behavior. This is not possible overnight, rather it may take days or sometimes weeks. Find out the things that you will be able to change easily. Once you do this, you will become more confident and will be able to achieve other things, too.
However, one must remember that there would be certain things that cannot be changed and one should learn to accept that, too. For instance, you can study harder and achieve good marks, however you cannot change the way you look.
One of the most important techniques is to stop being pessimistic.
It is said that being critical about yourself can help in improving certain things. However, being over critical does not help. Constantly saying 'I cannot do this' or 'I am a failure' will not make things easier for you, rather, you will feel more depressed. Here, positive thinking affirmations will help you.
You have to think and say positive things like 'I have the power to change myself', 'I deserve good things in life', 'I have the right to be happy and successful', etc. Saying such things constantly, every day, or whenever you think that negative thoughts are bothering you, will boost up your confidence, and you will be able to achieve whatever you have aimed for.
Many times, people live with a wish to do something, but are not able to do so because they do not trust in themselves that they can do it.
For instance, a student who is an introvert will never participate in an elocution at school, because he thinks that he will never be able to utter a word in front of a huge crowd. However, this is not true, on the contrary, if we put our mind to something, we will surely be able to achieve it.
It is possible that you may fail for a few times initially, but with the help of positive thinking affirmations, you will surely succeed in your target. Therefore, if you have been wanting to do something for a long time but did not have the courage, do not delay, believe in yourself and I am sure you will achieve it.
Another way is to visualize your future success.
There are some people who think about their failure, even before they start the project. Indulging in this kind of negative thinking may actually lead to failure, and hence this should be totally avoided. Once you have planned what you want to achieve, visualize how you will like to see yourself after some years.
Whenever you get the feeling that you will not be able to achieve something, you just have to visualize your dream and you will be all charged up to achieve it.
It is very commonly said that positive thinking is contagious, which is absolutely right. It has been observed that when a person is in the company of positive people, it spreads to him too, making him feel good about himself.
On the other hand, if you have even one friend who indulges in negative thinking, this will surely affect you in a negative way. So, try as best as possible to be with people who think and speak positively.
Try to inculcate these habits in your daily routine as much as possible, and you will definitely see positive results and changes in your life. Accept the challenges of life positively, as they are important steps towards learning and also to achieve success. If you do this, happiness will surely be yours.