They say it takes only one positive thought to replace a negative one. Negative self-talk or thoughts is something we’ve all experienced at some point—it easily creeps in. Its persistent presence can be dangerous, continually undermining our self-esteem and thwarting our aspirations for success.
Consider how many times you’ve discouraged yourself from attempting something, convincing yourself not to even try because you might fail, or that something is too difficult. Our inner thoughts shape our external reality. If we don’t have full confidence in ourselves, our brain struggles to envision our goals or inspire us to take action. Mahatma Gandhi famously remarked, ‘A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.’
It is easier to hold on to negative thinking, not letting go even when we get blessed with positive things later on. What’s even worse is that negative thoughts often originate from the subconscious, making us unaware of their presence. The root cause of our attachment to negativity is fear: fear of inadequacy, fear of disappointing ourselves or loved ones, fear of rejection, blame, shame, or embarrassment.
Identifying negative thinking
According to Mayo Clinic, some common forms of negative self-talk include:
- Filtering: You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones.
- Personalizing: When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself.
- Catastrophizing: You automatically anticipate the worst.
- Polarizing: You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground
Transitioning from negative thinking to positive thinking requires effort and the dedication of brain resources, akin to redirecting blood flow to activate a different part of the brain to foster positivity. However, most people don’t engage in this process either because they’re entrenched in negativity or because they’re unaware that they have the ability to shift their mindset, or how to do so.
Practicing positive thinking
Here are a few examples of the questions you can ask yourself. You can think of more if they help you reflect on the things that you appreciate about your life.
• What went well today? Write down some things.
• What activities make you happy? How can you do these onboard/ ashore?
• Look around you. What do you like most about where you are right now?
• What do you like most about your family and/or friends?
• What do you like most about your life?
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Negative self-talk |
Positive thinking |
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I’ve never done it before. |
It’s an opportunity to learn something new. |
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It’s too complicated. |
I’ll tackle it from a different angle. |
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I’m too lazy to get this done. |
I wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities. |
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There’s no way it will work. |
I can try to make it work. |
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It’s too radical a change. |
Let’s take a chance. |
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I’m not going to get any better at this. |
I’ll give it another try. |
