How to Rephrase Negative Thoughts

You may not even realize how many negative thoughts you let creep in. Sometimes they even hide behind positive ones. When’s the last time you gave someone a compliment (“What a great dress!”) and felt the tug of competitive self-doubt? Challenge yourself to look at the world and see out the positive.

If you can rephrase your inner monologue, your outlook and your outer world are going to get better. Learn how, here:

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” –Willie Nelson

Acknowledge any lurking, nasty underbelly–know it’s there and call it what it is–jealousy, or anger, or fear. Then let it go.

Meditate for a bit and come up with three satisfying memories, three positive thoughts and/or goals for today, and three totally out-there wild hopes for the future. Let yourself smile. Then pick one thing you are not looking forward to doing today and find a way to think about it in the most positive light possible. Instead of picturing the pile of laundry, remember how good it feels to slip into clean, crisp sheets at night. And let yourself smile.

Read more: Spirit, Guidance, Self-Help, , negative thoughts

Adapted from Half Full, by Mina Parker (Conari Press, 2006). Copyright (c) 2006 by Mina Parker. Reprinted by permission of Conari Press.
Adapted from Half Full, by Mina Parker (Conari Press, 2006).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Nimue P.

3:08AM PDT on May 2, 2012

Noted.

send a green star

Robert H.

7:30PM PDT on May 1, 2012

The quote, "If you are depressed you are probably thinking of the past.... and if you are anxious, you are probably thinking of the future" applies here. Negative thoughts might be more the reaction to one or the other states of being. Be in the moment and understand one can not do anything about the future or the past. Just be.

Jon H.

10:26AM PDT on May 23, 2011

Very true on negative thoughts in turning them around to be positive energy even if their is too many "if's" in negative energy when having a second thought. I battle mine finding something to distract me from being negative. Like doing something challenging. Being positive is like getting flowers while neativeness will always give you the thorns of the rose bush everytime.

Geetha S.

9:55AM PDT on May 11, 2011

Nice. Thanks for sharing.

colleen p.

1:50PM PDT on May 10, 2011

how does this realte to hating people who cause harm? to push one to play hero? "I hate those who burn women out of supersition, my promice of hope is to make a petition to get the UN to go and tell them not to"

"I am sad at the babarians who eat the innocent, peaceful, enlightened better-than-us animals. I can only hope telling them beings have faces, moms, sentience and were brutalized for some taste buds and out of laziness of not mastering vegan cooking. I can only hope screaming at them and telling them you make Jesus cry can do it"

how can one embrace shadow and negativity and survive with that?

or be someone who helps those fight their own inner shadows by drawing them out?
I want that to be my job.

but it can turn to good. if people can overcome their other side, and be a better person. drawing it out for a show down is healing.

right?

Camilla V.

1:09PM PDT on May 8, 2011

gotta try that

KS G.

5:34AM PDT on Mar 24, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Robert O.

1:35PM PST on Jan 25, 2011

Thanks for the reminder.

Tonya F.

6:43AM PST on Jan 17, 2011

Great article! One of the exercises that I do, when shifting thoughts that are not sparkly, is to think of the things I love, the song of the birds, watching Hawks in flight, the way my husband loves me, a good hot cup of mocha, etc. Then I smile...deeply. Thanks.