Identifying 5 Sources Of Negative Thought

Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with books, CDs, and even movies touting the importance of positive thought. To paraphrase Field of Dreams, “if we think it, it will come.” While I don’t want to be drawn into the debate about the merits of positive thinking, there can be no denying the destructive power of negative thought.

Here is a list of 5 of the most destructive forms of negative thought.

1. Bad Energy. You know how it is. You have a minor disagreement with a work colleague or a family member and they spend the rest of the day giving you the evil eye. You, in turn, pick up the bad energy that surrounds the situation.

2. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Perhaps the most obvious negative thought, this can spring from another person (Aunt Hilda telling you you’ll never lose weight) or yourself (I’ll never get that job). Oops! Sounds like you’ve already programmed your subconscious for failure.

3. Criticism. Those cruel words from someone else hurt. So much so that we replay them again and again, each time reliving the hurt.

4. Vampires. Well OK, maybe that’s a bit of a melodramatic name but these people drain your energy instead of blood. We all have that one person we dread seeing because we feel exhausted after spending any time with them.

5. Memories. Remembering an earlier time when things didn’t go as planned or as hoped can have a highly negative impact on the here and now, leading to further self-fulfilling prophecies of failure and low self-esteem.

So what now? Knowledge is power and you can learn to be more aware of problems as they arise. You can’t always avoid being around that person who is going to drain your energy or criticize you, but you can learn to control your responses and reactions to their negativity.

Remember: don’t let negativity set you up for failure.

Fiona Young-Brown helps people move beyond the fears that hold them back from achieving their true potential. She also works with people who are unable to narrow down their long list of passions to follow one straight path through life. For more information, to sign up for her newsletters, or to arrange your free sample coaching session, visit http://www.fionayoungbrown.com or http://www.movingbeyondfear.com