Why Positive Thinking Doesn’t Work – Five Steps to Changing Your Life with Useful Belief
Positive thinking doesn’t work. Not really. Imagine if I walked up to someone who was struggling and I tried to encourage them by saying, “Come on, just be positive!” What would be the result? I imagine they would want to punch me in the face. Not only that, but there are numerous studies that show that if you lay in bed in the morning and say to yourself, “Come on, try to be positive today. You can do it.” But when 10 o’clock rolls around and you don’t feel positive anymore, you actually feel worse than when you started! Useful Belief is simply better. Here are five ways to change your life with Useful Belief:
1. Have a useful belief about the things you cannot change
Positive thinking is just a feeling. However, if you have certain things in your life that you cannot (or will not) change, you might as well have a useful belief about them. For example, travel is a reality for me if I want to maintain my lifestyle. I am on a plane three times a week on average. My useful belief is simple: I love airplanes! For other people, it might be a meeting you have to go to. You can’t get out of it! What would be a useful belief to have about that meeting today?
2. You create your own reality
We all create our own reality. Our perception of that reality is often how we interpret the events that have happened to us in our lives. For example, it is a useful belief to know that everything that has happened to you happened for a reason. You had the parents that you were supposed to have. Is that true? I don’t know…but I know it’s a useful belief. You had lessons to learn and that’s why they were your parents. With all the past events, ask yourself two questions. Why did that happen? What did I learn? It is useful to believe that all the events in your life were supposed to happen. After all, they led you to be here today. This is where you are supposed to be.
3. This is the best time in the history of the world to be alive
Your brain has something called the Reticular Activating System. It is the filter that sorts through all of the information you get every day and decides what you will notice and what you won’t. If you believe the world is beautiful, you notice beautiful things. If you have a belief that doesn’t serve you, then you will notice all that is wrong in the world. Your R.A.S. will find what you tell it to look for.
4. This is the best time to be in my business
Your R.A.S. will also either help you or hurt you at work. I hear people all the time say things like, “Times are tough.” Guess what? When you say this, your R.A.S. will follow your instructions and come up with all of the reasons that you will not be successful. The opposite is also true. If you believe opportunities are everywhere, your brain will go about finding those opportunities.
5. Useful Actions
If you had a tough year in your life and you need clarity on how to pull yourself out of the rut, ask yourself simple questions. “What is the most useful thing for me to do to get from ground zero to two? What is the most useful thing for me to do to get from two to five?” If you had a great year, “What is the most useful thing for me to do to get from seven to nine?” Instantly, you begin to identify the actions that you need to take to get to the next level.
It’s not about positive thinking. It’s about a practical belief systems which lead to practical actions. Useful belief will give you results.
Visit www.chrishelder.com to purchase the book ($19.95).
