Negative thinking… it’s a killer of dreams and drainer of energy. And we all suffer from it on some level.

It can be pretty frustrating to accept all the spontaneous doubts and fears that just leap out of our minds like unwanted pop up windows. It can be like surfing the Web a couple of years ago: you’re crusing along just fine when out of nowhere… BAM… you get it by a pop up that won’t close!

And I was just thinking about how new Web browsers and default operating system tools have made the pop up ad pretty much obsolete on the Internet. By the same token we can achieve a state of mind where negative thinking is reduced to a passing shadow.

We can install a sort of pop up killer in our minds that eradicates negative thoughts and images the moment they occur. Keep reading for suggestions on how I do this.

It’s worth pointing out that our tendency to think in “negative” terms is believed by scientists to be an attribute left over from a more primitive time. Thousands of years ago (and longer) our species had a lot of “competition” and numerous natural enemies; it is commonly assumed the general state of awareness for early humans was one of negative expectation.

Survival actually depended on assuming the worst possibility was waiting just over the next hill or that great danger was constantly at hand. Today, with less legitimate concern about predators (in the developed world at least) and far less worry associated with basic survival needs, this instinctive mental energy is channeled into other forms of apprehension.

So if you struggle with doubt, fear, mistrust, and insecurity the fact is you are functioning from a somewhat normal state. But the good news is that we don’t have to accept this condition as permanent.

Since we are far more developed than our primitive ancestors we can choose to recognize the “flaw” in our thought patterns and actively deal with it. Here’s how:

Recognizing What Thoughts Really Are (And Aren’t)

First of all, we can understand that our thoughts flow constantly through our minds. Perhaps they come from memories, current experience, and impressions that have been suggested by others; whatever their source the majority of our thoughts just rise and subside constantly like tidal waters.

We do not have to identify or associate directly with any of the thoughts that pass through our minds. We are NOT our thoughts - in fact our thoughts are simply a naturally occurring stream of information produced by the phenomenon of consciousness.

What this essentially means is you can affirm to yourself that your thoughts do not own you, nor are they a firm representation of who/what you are! You have the power to entertain and accept only those thoughts that serve you, and to simply let negative thoughts pass away.

This realization was one of the most empowering moments of my life. In fact coming to this point in your self-awareness is very much a part of the mental and emotional enlightenment that spiritual adepts seek through years of meditation and contemplation.

There is no need to feel threatened or controlled by your thoughts. You can simply choose to acknowledge and use them, to watch them as they drift away, or to pay them no heed at all!

Transmuting Negative Thoughts Without Resisting Them

Another powerful technique you can use is to simply recognize a negative thought and then use the momentum of the thought process to literally transmute, or transform, it into positive thinking.

Once you become aware of negative thinking or images, immediately ask yourself: “What is it I really want?”

This provides you with the opportunity to insert your positive alternative and, using the energy created by the initial negative thought, literally transform your current thought process to a supportive one. For example…

Let’s say Claire is driving to meet her date at the movies for their first time out. She begins to imagine him turning out to be a jerk who is only interested in her for physical reasons; this is a common issue with men she meets and this concern pops up often when she meets someone new.

Immediately upon becoming aware of the negative thought she asks herself: “If I don’t want to meet another jerk, then what is it I really want?”

She answers the question with: “I want a guy who has a real interest in getting to know who I am, what I like and don’t like, and what I think about important issues.”

With this, she finds herself imagining the man she is on her way to meet as a charming character who asks her lots of questions and hangs on her every word. And he’s not just playing along - he really seems to want to hear her thoughts! In a matter of seconds Claire is immersed in a vivid fantasy about having her ideal date!

This is a very powerful advanced thought technique. It takes a little practice, and it requires you to seek awareness of the current moment throughout your day. But it is definitely something you can master with just a little work.

I hope these ideas help you overcome your negative thinking and install your own mental pop up killers.

For many of us, there is a subtle energy within us that works to derail our highest goals. Maybe we’re afriad of failure, but in many cases we’re scared of success.

For instance, if you ever get nervous when things are going really well, you are struggling with self sabotage issues. Maybe you feel a disaster must be just around the corner if things are going to plan for you, or perhaps you just can’t emotionally handle it when things are good.

This is more common than most people realize. It’s pretty crazy, and you can actually live out your life without ever realizing this unless you take the time to observe, or unless a friend points it out for you. Watch yourself; do you handle success and happines well?

If you feel discomfort when things are going well for you, I urge you to watch your thoughts and feelings closely. Try to identify how you feel - is it nervousness, irritability, or something else?

Becoming aware is the first step. Once you catch yourself entertaining this kind of subtle, self defeating energy, simply replace it with positive affirmations and visualizations. I also recommend you use basic meditation to help you direct your energies, and check out one or more other studies such as EFT (emotional freedom technique), Yoga, or Ho’oponopono.

The fact that you know what is going on means you have the power to change things. And ultimately this is about your knowing you deserve greatness.

It’s amazing how negatively conditioned most of us are by default. Few people stop to consider the seemingly trivial thing they are taught to say and think by their parents, friends, and the media, but a quick review can show you just how damaging such conditioning is!

Here are a few examples of how debilitating thoughts and ideals can be put into our thought processes by the people around us.

Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees You Know – Did your parents ever say anything along these lines to you when you were young? Mine certainly did.

Maybe the exact phrase used was a bit different. For instance another common saying of this nature would be “Hey I’m not made of money you know”.

While the intention behind this statement is innocent enough, the truth is it plants a seed of lack and scarcity that will grow into quite a mess of weeds later on! Be honest: do you often find yourself thinking in terms of how much money you don’t have, and do you regularly worry about your spending because, after all, there is only so much money to go around?

He’s Filthy Rich – Statements like this are extremely common. I first heard this as a child and you probably did as well.

It’s interesting to note that when I was very young and hearing this kind of talk for the first time it seemed really bizarre to me. Fast forward 30 years and I know it sounded odd because it’s highly unnatural!

Nearly everyone has said this once or twice, but the truth is such connotations are very negative, and can actively work to prevent you from having as much money as you desire!

If you’ll be extra mindful I guarantee you will see that people who say things like ‘they’re filthy rich’, ‘it’s an obscene amount of money’, etc. are also the very same people who harbor great resentment toward folks with plenty of cash. I’ll bet you’ve seen what I’m referring to before.

The subject of a wealthy individual in your hometown comes up and terms like ‘filthy rich’ get kicked around. The next thing you know you can literally hear the bitterness in somebody’s voice as he or she says something like “yeah it must be nice!”

There Just Isn’t Enough Time In A Day – Here’s one that appears quite harmless on the surface. But this kind of negative affirmation will have an enormous impact on your subconscious mind. In this case you are convincing yourself that no matter how hard you work you simply cannot make the right kind of progress.

Again most of us can admit to having heard this from a parent or elder when we were children. Of course these people were not trying to harm us; clearly they have no idea how a few simple words can have a counterproductive effect on them and the people around them.

You Only Have A Few True Friends In Life – Here is yet another example of well-intentioned wisdom imparted to many of us by an elder. But now that we’re having an honest look at things this one is especially grim isn’t it?

Imagine teaching a child to expect only a few ‘real friends’ over the course of an entire lifetime! I know many, many people who still buy into this ideal as adults and to be honest I accepted it myself for a long time.

True Love Is Hard To Find – Here’s an example of a sentiment implanted by the popular media, from broadcast radio to sitcoms and movies. And a quick glance at our mainstream society will prove this myth is hugely accepted by many, many people.

The first step in getting clear of your subconscious, negative beliefs is to identify them. Spend some time writing down all the casual limiting beliefs you hold and express with sayings like the ones above. Then start to catch yourself thinking like this during your daily life and replace these limiting thoughts with abundant ones.

Do this and you’ll soon be on the way to changing your life!