Go beyond positive thinking

by | Jan 27, 2014 | Uncategorised

Last week we started to explore how important it is to become aware of what you are thinking and to assess how well those thoughts are serving you. The intention was to weed out the negative thoughts that we often allow to pollute our mind. I hope you realised that this ‘food for thought’ was not about ignoring or suppressing your fears or worries, not at all. Having a balance of emotional experiences, and being comfortable recognising your fears and transcending them, is a critical part of emotional maturity. So, I am not suggesting that we aim for a life filled with ‘Rah! Rah! Positive thinking’ – definitely not – as it can just be like a band-aid on a toxic wound and simply mask inner conflicts and challenges. What I am suggesting is that we take Key Steps together this week to…

Make conscious and useful thinking a habit

1. Make examining your thoughts a habit. The first step this week is exactly the same step as last week. You’ll need to continue to pause (for just a minute or two) a couple of times a day and check what you’ve been thinking. Hopefully, you’ll notice an improvement in consciousness from last week. Hopefully, you’ll be more selective about the thoughts you choose to entertain. Hopefully you have successfully begun to weed out useless and destructive thoughts. This increased awareness brings with it the power of discernment. You and you alone choose your thoughts. How powerful is that thought?

2. Now consciously choose your thinking. With regular ‘weeding’ of the garden of your mind, you’ll notice a shift in the overall quality of your thinking because you are are likely to be choosing more constructive, more useful and more positive thoughts. This will always take deliberate effort and consciousness. (Success in life is seldom an accident. Successful thinking is the same!) Just keep in mind that as you grow in maturity you will no longer be attracted to notions of positive thinking simply because you won’t really see anything as being negative, you’ll just see everything in its state of growth and an opportunity for you to grow and develop yourself to…

“be the difference that makes the difference”

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Namaste,

 

NOTE: The information in my blog may be freely shared and re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line: This was written by Dr Sharon King Gabrielides, and originally appeared in her free bi-weekly  ‘Key Steps Food for Thought Blog’ available on the Key Steps website.

Dr Sharon King Gabrielides, EQ Expert, Founder and CEO

Sharon is a dynamic facilitator, speaker and executive coach with over 25 years’ experience in leadership development and organisational transformation. Her PhD thesis contributed a framework for holistic and sustainable leadership development that was published by Rutgers University in the USA. She is faculty of numerous business schools and highly sought-after by leading corporates because she works hand-in-hand with them to create sustainable results and long-term success. In 2020, Sharon was inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame, which is a lifetime achievement award, recognising excellence and her contribution to the field.

Sharon is one of only three women in South Africa to hold the title of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) – the Oscar of the speaking industry. She is also a COMENSA Master Practitioner (CMP), a qualified Modern Classroom Certified Trainer (MCCT™) and an accredited Global Virtual Speaker. Sharon is also a registered Education, Training and Development Practitioner (ETDP), holds an Honours degree in Psychology and practices as an NLP master practitioner.

Most important to Sharon is that she has become known for her genuinely caring manner, practical and transformational approach, and for providing valuable tools and that allow people to take Key Steps to really… ‘be the difference that makes the difference.’