Lisa sought my advice for her negative thinking patterns after a recent Health Talk seminar where I spoke at a local hospital. Like many who suffer with chronic negative thoughts she was determined to learn how to develop a positive attitude.

She had been going to different type of medical professionals and attempting different nutrition strategies for years and absolutely nothing was satisfying her.

It became apparent early in our discussion that Lisa was deeply addicted to negative thoughts and believing the worst.

Consistent negative thinking went through her mind about every aspect of her life.

Lisa is a radiology technician where she helps treat cancer patients, and she realizes that it is so very important that she learn to have more of a positive outlook, so it will extend to the patients.

She would get to work in the morning at the hospital and immediately begin worrying about what problems are in store for her today.

In social circumstances, she had negative thinking patterns that individuals didn’t like her. She constantly fretted about cash, even though she had a nice salary.

Her other half might never do anything right.

There was something incorrect with others she worked with.

Negative thinking causes much stress in the body.

I told Lisa to think of what would perhaps occur if she was relaying these negative thinking patterns to a child. How would the child feel the majority of the time?

Lisa could see that this child would obviously feel stressed out and anxious much of the time in reaction to all the negative thinking.

The medical profession has actually long told us that tension, stress, and anxiety is one of the leading causes of disease.

Tension sets into motion the body’s fight or flight action, putting cortisol into the body and eventually exhausting the adrenal glands.

Adrenal exhaustion can be among the results of so many negative thinking patterns.

While Lisa might understand the possible result her negative thinking was having on her health, it was exceptionally challenging for her to give up her negative thinking.

Lisa deeply believed that her negative thinking kept her safe from frustration.

She actually believed that believing the unfavorable thought before the worst would occur prepared her to deal with it.

She didn’t wish to be in a position of not being ready to deal with the worst.

Lisa thought that she might not deal with the discomfort of dissatisfaction, so that if she understood about it ahead of time and really expected it, she would not feel so dissatisfied.

In addition, Lisa believed if she was watchful enough, and analyzed all the bad things that might happen, she may prevent them.

She believed that by thinking ahead, she could in some way have control over the result of things. This negative mindset has kept her from learning how to develop a positive attitude.

Lisa also believed that she might control how people felt about her by acting right and stating the right things.

She was continuously watchful about her habits with others in her attempts to control how they felt about her and treated her.

In trying to control her feelings, others’ sensations and the outcome of things, Lisa may have been causing her health to potentially fail.  

The underlying reason for her negative thinking patterns was her commitment to this control.

The issue with all this is that it is based on an impression—the impression of control.

(Here’s a related article on how to begin thinking about your goal setting process and best ways to achieve personal goals and objectives.)  

The reality is that Lisa could not visualize every occasion that could trigger her some discomfort. She was devastated whenever something occurred that she had actually not thought of ahead of time.

How could something unpleasant come out of the blue like that?

How could she have not foreseen it?

The paradox of all of this is that, in attempting to predict future disasters, Lisa was not present in the moment.

We can access our inner Guidance system, as the Course in Miracles terms, the “Holy Spirit,” only when we are touching base with a moment of presence.

Being aligned to the present moment in all situations keeps us from attempting to control the future.

This present moment can be seen as what the Course in Miracles teaches us about the “holy instant.”  Lisa remains in the process of becoming more aware of her negative thinking.

She is not yet out of the woods, so to speak, but she has some better days now, days that are lighter and more enjoyable.

Course in Miracles states, “Offer the miracle of the holy instant through the Holy Spirit, and leave His giving it to you to Him.”

Vacating negative thinking patterns is a procedure that requires time.

You have actually been practicing this form of believing your entire life if you have chronic negative thoughts.

It is not going to stop in a day.

But if you tune into the stress you feel, you can gradually watch this pattern leave you.

Vigor and pleasure can be the result of letting go of your negative thinking and learning how to understand the holy instant, or, the Now, as some may say.

Remember, negative thinking triggers tension, and in turn may lead to all sorts of health issues.

Yes, both mentally and physically in the body you lose power to negativity, and cover or obscure your natural inner Light.

When the Light of Who you truly are is not shining through, how can you even begin living to your full potential for a life of passion and purpose?

Sure Lisa loves her job at the hospital, but she had been missing out on feeling truly passionate about her work because of all that negativity. 

While Lisa did eventually become of the light of a more positive outlook, her negative thinking still remains, but she is noticing it continually fading away more and more every single day.

(Here’s how to begin living in the present moment for all-around success in life.) 

To letting go of a negative thoughts, 

James Nussbaumer

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