Positive Thinking Exercises

Overcome The Power Of Negative Thinking

Can positive thinking exercises really change your mind? If you asked Dr. Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself, he would surely give you an unequivocal yes.

You could consider Dr. Doidge's findings on brain plasticity as more evidence that you can overcome any ingrained negative thinking patterns through the power of positive thinking.

He argues that anyone of any age can change their brain structure and functioning through repetitive thoughts and activities. He compares the brain to other muscles in the body and makes the observation that just as we train our physical muscles, so we can train our mental muscle.

Based on his findings, it's fair to conclude that through repetition of these positive thinking activities, you can permanently change your negative thinking patterns. It just takes persistence and eventually your positive self talk will come more easily.

Positive Thinking Exercises - #1: Modeling

This is one of my favorite positive thinking exercises and one I spend a lot of money and time on.

Modeling is an approach touted by NLP and has proponents like Tony Robbins. It involves developing ways of thinking and behaving that mirror the successful approach of another.

No matter what it is you desire to be, do or have, there is someone else out there who has achieved what you want. And if you can model their approach, you will duplicate their success for yourself.

For example, let's say you want to be a successful entrepreneur. The first step to achieving this would be to study someone like Brian Tracy. Brian has made a career of understanding the DNA of successful people in business and sales. His has transferred his volumes of insight and experience into CDs, books, DVDs and seminars so you can easily learn his secrets and model his approach.

Exercise: Find a mentor, whether it's someone you know or someone you know of doesn't really matter. What matters is that there's plenty of accessible information about how they achieved success. Find out their mindset and how they faced challenges and opportunities. What critical decisions did they make along their path? What was their positive self talk that helped them through the hard times?

Positive Thinking Activities - #2: Surround Yourself With Positive Pictures

Placing inspiring positive pictures around your home can ensure you receive daily doses of positivity without conscious effort. And there's no better way to overcome the power of negative thinking. Essentially we are a product of our environments. So if you ensure your environment is uplifting, you will internalize this and become it.

If you like this idea, check out some of the great wall art from All Posters. I find material like their Possibilities Poster gives me a boost just when I need it and in this way helps with managing my resistance to change.

Positive Thinking Activities - #3: Acting As If

The Acting As If method works because the body follows where the mind leads. So when you live inside your body as if you've achieved what you want, the mind adjusts accordingly. If you struggle at first with this technique, just keep trying. You will know when you are making headways because positive self talk will become more natural and spontaneous. In the meantime, use positive daily affirmations and visualization to help with managing your resistance to change.

If you enjoyed reading about these positive thinking exercises, you might also like to review some more suggestions for unlocking the power of positive thinking here.

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