Not many people can truly say that they enjoy being around others who persistently have negative attitudes towards Life, or towards others. It's draining for me to be around people who judge me constantly ~ whether out loud or psychicly ~ or people who simply cannot recognize the good in others. Many of us consistently tolerate the idle negative chatter in own minds, as well. We're used to the "voice" in our own head that dictates our course of action.
This voice is often self-limiting, self-deprecating, and self-doubting. Only when we become aware of this negative voice, can we begin to change its detrimental messages. Thoughts follow a succinct pattern: our thoughts create words, and ultimately, those words become our actions. For example, if I allow my internal voice to consistently tell me that I am a failure, I eventually do create my own failures.
While first exploring the avenue of becoming aware of my own thought patterns some twenty years ago, I constantly caught my mind telling me that I was a loser, that I would never amount to anything, that I did not deserve love and true happiness, and so on. I have continued to work at catching ~ and changing ~ the negative thought patterns that attempt to wreak havoc in my head, and ultimately in my Life.
I am wise enough to know that the process of re-creating my Self is just that: A process. It is not an event. Change comes slowly, but when working on oneself, the changes are definitely assured. The changes are felt internally at first, and eventually those people in our lives who truly love and accept us for who we are, become aware of the healthy changes we are making in our lives, usually letting us know what they observe.
Many people, upon paying careful attention to their thinking patterns, are surprised at the negativity they find there. But when we take notice of our involuntary thoughts in a nonjudgmental way, we initiate a healing process that will eventually allow us to replace intimidating and upsetting self-talk with positive, empowering thoughts.
While the occasional downbeat or judgmental thought may have little impact on our contentment, the ongoing negativity that passes unnoticed can have a dampening and damaging effect on our moods and our behaviors. When we are aware of the tone of our thoughts, however, we can begin to challenge those negative attitudes and thoughts, and replace them with positive and empowering thoughts and attitudes. Sometimes it takes an objective person, such as a therapist, to assist us in our self-exploration. This is a good thing: seeking help is NOT a sign of weakness, on the contrary, it is a definitive sign of courage!
The awareness we cultivate within ourselves will eventually enable us to create a foundation of positivity from which we can build a more authentic existence. A more authentic Self. The first counsel written over the gateway to the temple at Delphi was: "Know Thyself" That counsel was not advising us to know our pretentious Self, but our true and authentic Self. I take heart in the fact that only we, human beings, have the power of choice. Only we have the ability to change our outlooks, our thoughts, words and actions. I am empowered in knowing that only I can direct the course of my Life. And only I can allow my Self to be happy, joyous, and free ~ even in the face of adversity and negativity.
Namasté, my friends ...
