Turn Stinking Thinking into Positive Power

Do you love positive, motivating quotes, articles, stories and movies, or do they make you feel worse? If positivity causes you to look the other way it may be that you’re trapped in your own stinking thinking, at least temporarily.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• 30 Stinking Thinking Phrases You May Recognize
• More Negative than You Know
  • What Culture do You Choose?
• When Positivity Rubs You Negatively
• Surrounded by Temptation
• Your Associations Matter
• If Positivity Makes You Cringe…
• Stinking Thinking is a Habit. So is Positive Thinking
• Become Unstoppable

From Trapped to Transformed

When we’re ready to move from the negatives to where we need to be… to the space that will serve our aspirations, we will see more positive.

Being trapped in negative thinking patterns is the same as being trapped in the weight of addiction… it covers up who you really are under all of that. But you can turn it around.

You can turn negativity into positivity by simply changing one simple thing: What you focus on. It’s about focusing on what you want, not on what you don’t want; focusing on what you have, not on what you don’t.

Move in with the mindset of the life you want to live.

When you’re ready to shift your state, you will seek the positive, and because you seek it you will see it.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

Being trapped in negativity is the same as being trapped in the weight of addiction… it covers up who you really are under all of that.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

What Unconscious Programs are Running Your Life?

Most people are more negative than they realize. It’s just a pervasive environmental and cultural conditioning. We grow up saying and thinking things that color our views, often unconsciously.

These aren’t seriously negative however such does begin to color our speech habits and can lead us down the stinking thinking road before we’re even aware we’re on it.

Consider the list of common expressions we’ve all heard, and many of which we may have said. See which ones are familiar to you and add your own. Share them with us and we’ll add them here.

31 Stinking Thinking Phrases

1. “If it’s not one thing it’s another.”
2. “I can’t win for losing.”
3. “Leave it to me to mess things up.”
4. “I’ve always been clumsy.”
5. “I’ve never been good at math / numbers.“
6. “I’m overwhelmed.”
7. “I’m bored.”
8. “I hate my job.”
9. “Don’t work too hard.”
10. “It’s Murphy’s Law… (‘what can go wrong, will’).”
11. “I’m fat.”
12. “I’m ugly.”
13. “Why me.”
14. “I hate Mondays.”
15. “TGIF… thank God it’s Friday.”
16. “My kids drive me crazy.”
17. “He’s just lucky.” / “I’ve never been lucky.”
18. “Nothing good ever happens to me.”
19. “I never win anything.”
20. “I can’t stand that positive thinking… it doesn’t work.”
21. “Why should I be positive when I don’t feel positive.”
22. “The filthy /greedy rich.”
23. “That’s above my pay grade.”
24. “We’ve always done it that way.” / “Everyone else is doing it.” (Or not doing it).
25. “Kids today!” / “Baby Boomers!”
26. “Good luck with that.” (Said in patronizing tone that clearly indicates they don’t believe you can do it).
27. “I hate technology… I still can’t even program the VCR!”
28. “I’ve just always been that way.”
29. “I’m so stressed.”
30. “I’m not good enough.”
31. “Good men / women are hard to find.”

Negative Conditioning

I’m sure you could add your own to this—already—long list. Please send them and we’ll add them here. But here’s the thing: we all have these stinking thinking programs running our systems far more than we realize. Some are obvious and overt, and therefore more easily addressed through reframing. But the subtle conditioning that runs incessantly in the background… those are harder to pinpoint, especially within ourselves unless we’re consciously and purposefully working on developing that awareness.

Stinking thinking infects your psyche and compromises your success and happiness in the same way that viruses impair your body or your computer. Happiness begins with becoming more aware of the negative thought patterns that entrap us, and converting them to positives.

This cognitive restructuring, becomes a positive habit that happens automatically with practice. Once we begin upgrading to more positive words, our thoughts follow suit and begin to disrupt the negative autopilot that sabotages our progress.

Negativity saps your energy and your life force. Flip it around. Positivity is power.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Negativity is Infectious – So is Positivity

Negative influences and influencers are everywhere, and every human is affected more than we realize. This is why environment is so important and powerful. Your health, wealth and happiness are dependent—in large measure—on seeking out the kinds of people and communities who will encourage your growth and not your stinking thinking.

So many of these programs run in our subconscious mind as memes we’ve been carrying around for years, conditioned by our environments, without even being aware of it.

Conditioning creates congestion that crowds out who we really are.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Consider this common meme we’ve heard all our lives: “Don’t work too hard.” 

It’s like, “Have a nice day.” It’s just a pleasant, well-wishing kind of greeting, right?  Well… Yeeesss…. but what’s behind that? What kind of social meme and implication is at play?

INSIDIOUS SUBTLE PROGRAMMING

• That you shouldn’t have to work hard
• That hard work is bad
• To take it easy is better

The Truth About Self Esteem

Hard work is the only way to manifest our dreams. Hard work and doing the things we know we should do is what imbues us with self esteem. By definition, self esteem is never truly bestowed from the outside in.

Self esteem is like a fire. We provide the wood, and our environment: family, friends and associates can help kindle our flame, but they can only ignite the material we’ve provided by virtue of our efforts.

This isn’t a conspiracy, but it is a deeply subtle social conditioning that creeps into our consciousness to equate not working hard as a state of being to hope for. I wonder what our culture would look like if the meme was something more like:

“Have fun working hard!” Or, “Power out on pursuing your dreams!“

But even if it’s not a common meme in your cultural environment, you can choose it for yourself. You can choose and create your personal culture of enjoying hard work in the pursuit of your dreams.

You can choose personal transformation through creation.

Once you decide you want to elevate your thinking, get unstuck and be a happier and more successful person… you can.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

When Positivity Rubs You Negatively

I get it. It’s aggravating to have positivity in your face when that’s antithetical to how you feel.

It’s like sitting at Starbucks on treat day, in your “eating cloths”, enjoying your favorite venti frappuccino. You know the one, like the java chip frappuccino that has 22 teaspoons of sugar that used to be my favorite.

There you are, enjoying your delicious treat and in walks that fit person in their slim spandex gym clothes, all toned and glowing, right after a workout. She orders a grande black coffee with coconut milk.

If you’re overweight and self conscious about it and know that you “should lose a few pounds”, then it’s hard to look that person in the eye, and suddenly your frapp doesn’t taste quite as good. Or like the friend who’s lost weight and looks great. Of course you’re happy for her, but… her weight loss can cause you to feel the pain of your lack in that area.

Happiness begins with becoming more aware of the negative thought patterns that entrap us… and letting them go.

“Your habits become your habitat.”
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

Temptation vs. Conscience

I remember being at a dinner event… the kind with a dessert table with so many scrumptious dessert options. You know how it is. You’re at a dinner you paid to attend and there are so many delectable delicacies that you don’t usually get to have, so why not splurge and get a nice big slice of something wonderful.

But… there was a really fit couple sitting at the table right next to the dessert bar. And of course they were not eating any of it. Their presence thwarted me from that indulgence.

In that moment, they served as my conscience for what I shouldn’t do versus what I wanted to do. I just couldn’t walk by their great example of fitness and discipline, going for a dessert I knew I shouldn’t have when I was already 10 pounds (or so) overweight.

Choose that which supports your highest vision for yourself over your fleeting desires. Choose it again and again. That’s how you’ll make it real.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

Your Associations Matter

In that moment, if I had been surrounded by friends and family who were having dessert, you know I would have chosen to as well. This is why it’s so uber important to surround ourselves with those who are where we want to go… with those who pull us into our future self.

Don’t let negative family and friends hold you back. Love them, but make new friends.

Thoughts are like food. Just because we have food to eat doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Same thing with our thoughts and feelings.

Stinking thinking is the junk food of the mind.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

If Positivity Makes You Cringe…

So it’s the same with positive people and positive messages, quotes and memes. If you’re having a down day or personal crisis, perky, positive messages don’t usually help in the moment. In fact, positivity can even be a turn off.

But, here’s the thing: you know you’re not happy in that state. So… why stay there? Instead, release your resistance and embrace that which supports your highest intentions.

The Five Minute Rule

Hal Elrod, the amazingly inspiring young author of The Miracle Morning series of books shared his process of keeping a positive mindset, which he learned from Cutco training when he a new sales rep at age 19.

Kudos to Cutco for such advanced and yet immensely practical training. It would be interesting to know the source of that for Cutco. Imagine coming up with such a POWERFULLY SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE mantra that serves and even saves lives of millions for generations to come. Wow! #Legacy!

Hal so diligently applies that simple lesson, that it saved his life and health, multiple times, including surviving a horrendous accident and walking again, followed by overcoming life threatening cancer. It’s called ‘The Five Minute Rule’, which is about taking five minutes to be angry, sad, outraged, etc. Then you recover and set about focusing on the positives… on what is good and what can be done to make things better. ^[1]https://youtu.be/2wXCM8J5Pjs

“It’s okay to be negative when things go wrong, but not more than five minutes.”
~Hal Elrod regarding his training from Cutco Knives company.

Gloom is a state you can choose to move away from.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com

Stinking Thinking is a Habit. So is Positive Thinking.

The thing about habits is they can be broken or redirected, such as by cultivating good habits to replace the bad ones. When it comes to food, you can substitute foods you love that are good for you when tempted by foods you enjoy that are bad for you.

Positive thoughts are like healthy food. When we fill up on that first, there’s less room for the junk food and we’re less likely to want it. To deflect and redirect negatives to positives works and the more you do it, the easier it gets. It’s a kind of food aikido.

If you’re serious about improving your life by upgrading your state of mind, a great place to begin is in setting goals and journaling your thoughts.

You can set goals around what you want to accomplish as well as a mindset you wish to habituate. Your habits become your habitat. It takes daily diligence to keep it clean and clear the clutter.

Positivity takes practice.

“Man the threshold of your mind and protect it from negativity.”
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Pull the Weeds

The good news is that if you default to negativity out of conditioning and habit, it’s relatively easy to turn that around. It begins with awareness. Become the observer of your thoughts, feelings, reactions and words. In them you will discover the weeds of programming that need to be pulled and replaced with good seeds.

Stinking thinking destroys potential and closes off opportunities. If you’re unhappy, take 5 more minutes to consciously acknowledge that. Accept that, understand that. Then decide to turn it around.

You can. In fact, you’re the only one who can turn it around for you.

The easiest way to dispel stinking thinking is with gratitude.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Become Unstoppable

If you’re pursuing positivity even if you’re down, you’re on the right track. It’s like exercising when you feel fat. When you’re overweight, you do not feel comfortable in your body and don’t enjoy the sensation of vigorous movement. And yet that’s exactly what it takes to get you from where you are to where you want to be.

Similarly, if you’re uncomfortable, you’re right on track. Don’t dodge the discomfort. Face it down… do the tango with it, and you take the lead. The more you engage your creative mind and put it to work for you rather than against you, the more your life will soar. Personal transformation is simply a decision away.

We’re not talking about the discomfort of that gut feeling that something is off. Heed those and mine the message therein. Rather, we’re talking about the uneasiness of feeling off track with your goals and with purpose. Listen to those signals and explore them.

Once you decide to transmute stinking thinking to positive thinking, you will very quickly gain more power to do more. It’s like the gym. The more you exercise and lift weights against the gravity of resistance, the stronger and lighter you become. More muscle, less dross… you’ll become unstoppable.

If you struggle with food addictions and temptations, you will benefit by the concepts in this article on cravings.

Engage your creative mind and put it to work for you rather than against you, and your life will soar.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Stopping Stinking Thinking

If you want to lose weight, a personal trainer or nutritionist might advise you to start keeping a food journal. This serves to inform them of you dietary habits, but also serves to make you more aware of what you’re putting in your mouth. Plus when you have to write down everything, you’re more inclined to think twice before taking that bite.

Keeping a positivity journal is also a great tool for personal development. Consider getting a journal for keeping track of daily thoughts. Notice the negatives, write it down, sketch it… whatever medium works best for you. Then replace it with a positive version. Also record your aspirations and positive thoughts, for what we focus on grows, so by writing down your positive reflections and observations, they will grow.

The Five Minute Rule Explained

Tune into Hal Elrod explaining the five minute rule for life-transforming profundity in less than five minutes.

And remember… elevate your thinking… because you can. And if you can… why wouldn’t you?

Get Gratitude.

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