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:
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.
Great advice that I need to follow!
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