Thursday, April 5, 2018

How to Wash those Negative Thoughts Right out of your Hair!



Make Mine Mystery

April 5, 2018
Linda Lee Kane
Last month I had some negative thoughts about editing and I thought I would share how I try to overcome these thoughts. Notice I used the word...try.

Realize that you are the only thing stopping you from succeeding.
All ideas go through the creative process. Most people start off thinking their idea is terrific for their next book, then realize the difficulties and begin to question it and think it’s a bad idea. This then manifests into self-criticism and self-doubt.

Some powerful Ways I use to Remove Negative Thoughts:

         Cut it off right from the beginning: AS soon as you notice yourself beginning to think the thought, interrupt it with a not-so-polite, “Shut Up!” Don’t even entertain the thoughts, especially after you’ve cut it off. Then replace the feeling with a positive one. (look at my past blogs, I’ve mentioned a few).

         Observe it: One of the most significant lessons I’ve learned over the years is that we are not our thoughts. And, just because we have individual negative thoughts, doesn’t mean they’re correct. Instead, we’re just observers of those thoughts. Know that a negative thought only has power if you give power to it.

    Exaggerate into ridiculousness: This is really pretty fun. It involves noticing a negative thought when it arises and then keeping the thought going by creating the most ridiculous possible outcome. You’ll realize your worst case scenario is not that bad.

   Counter it with the exact opposite: The fourth and final approach is my favorite. You can’t think two thoughts at the same time, with that in mind, this tool involves noticing the contrary view and then immediately replacing it with a feeling you want. Think of it like changing channels on the TV when that annoying ad comes on again. And forgive yourself for doubting your own creative ability. Think of it like a bungee cord made up of dozens of tiny bands, one negative doesn’t mean the entire thing breaks. And most crucial KEEP WRITING!




Linda L. Kane MA in Education, PPS, School Psychologist, and Learning Disability Specialist, is the author of Death on the Vine, Chilled to the Bones and an upcoming re-release of the The Black Madonna. She lives with her husband, three dogs, one bird, and eight horses in California. 




2 comments:

authorlindathorne said...

Good ideas. It never hurts to make up a game or a method to stay positive, to keep yourself happy. We can be our own worst enemies sometimes and, in reality, we are the only ones that can produce optimistic thoughts and do something about making our world a pleasant place to be.

Morgan Mandel said...

Great advice that I need to follow!