Positive thinking is based on positive images and thoughts that create a positive attitude. This technique is based on four laws, one of which is the law of similarity: like attracts like. If a person radiates joy and happiness, then he attracts similar energies to himself.
There is heated debate around this concept, and the effectiveness and benefits of positive thinking are questioned. While psychologists are figuring out the details, ordinary people are successfully practicing a positive attitude. What is it and how to apply the technique? I will tell you about this in the article. Positive thinking is what I have been living by for the last 3 years. The results are encouraging.
Analyze
To train your brain to think, you need to allocate at least a small part of your day for this. If you don't have any extra time, think on the way to work or to the store, while cooking or walking the dog. You should always take advantage of the brain's unique ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
What should you definitely think about? We will never grow as individuals if we do not learn to analyze. Moreover, we can analyze almost everything, even what does not concern us in any way. Remember and evaluate your own and others’ actions and words. Think about how they influenced you or those around you, what they ultimately led to, and what you should have done wrong. But be careful not to reminisce so much that you forget about the present and the future.
Self-development without tricks
I continue to slowly answer questions from radio listeners. The question was something like this:
How to free yourself from the influence of all this popular psychology? I understand that believing in nonsense like a success diary prevents you from living and achieving your goals, but I cannot free myself from it. How to start thinking for yourself? How to get on your own path?
The question made me happy. That is, the situation, of course, is not the most pleasant, but now I can easily poke this question in the nose of any adherents of pop psychology - admire what it leads to.
However, let's return to the question. The question, by the way, is both very simple and very complex.
Answer 1 (simple, if I was in a hurry, I would need to quickly scratch something for formality, but in such a way that it wouldn’t be embarrassing):
It's simple. First, you need to carefully understand your stereotypes: where do they “grow” from, why are they so firmly ensconced in the mind? Maybe complexes or other subtle psychological problems have become fertile ground for them? For example, for an insecure person, the assurances of the adherents of the film The Secret are a balm for the soul.
Armed with this understanding, you can begin the path of correcting these psychological problems (as - read in other articles) - with them, stereotypes will gradually die out. In addition, the very process of clarifying the nooks and crannies of your soul, when you understand yourself and your desires, is a key stage in self-development. This is the basics. And, among other things, training in independent thinking.
Answer 2 (more complicated, this is the answer I would write if I were in an ironic mood and the previous option caught my eye).
Ha ha! Understand yourself! You might think that this nonsense “take a piece of paper and a pen, write 100,500 of your traits that you don’t like, don’t forget to burn it” once helped someone! No, of course, theoretically, in-depth soul-searching can be beneficial. But in order to perform this operation on yourself, you must already be able to think, have a certain independence of thinking
. That is: it is possible, but in practice there are many obstacles.
How should we proceed then? And so, for example.
Let’s deal not with the stereotypes in thinking themselves, but with their “food”. Let me explain. Often our stereotypes are so persistent because we do the same things every day, meet the same people, etc. And our mind is lazy. If there is no need to adapt to new conditions, it will stand still.
Therefore, I would advise “a change of scenery.” Change your environment, occupation and social role for a while. I have already given an example somewhere that an excellent option would be to go on a difficult hike with a group of people new to you. A lot of new communication and new activities are excellent grounds for breaking stereotypes. Of course, everything will not happen by magic.
You yourself will have to try, namely, start observing yourself and those around you more closely, try to analyze their emotions, goals, aspirations.
If we return to the example with the hike. Observe your new acquaintances: who is the leader here? why is he a leader? What are your roles at the very beginning? What kind of relationship develops next? What do I think about this or that person? Do I understand him? How will he act if...
Yes, this has little to do with pop psychology. But it has to do with life - and in the most direct way. Therefore, some experience of self-analysis (and analysis of other people) combined with new impressions and an existing understanding of the futility of popular recipes for happiness
- they can really help.
Here are two answers, choose the one you like!
I remind you that for a faster answer to the question that concerns you, it is better to contact the forum; articles like this appear infrequently.
Dessert: Psychological problems? Let them work for you! - my new material on the World of Personal Development website. Nothing particularly new, but many may find it useful, especially in light of the post you are reading.
Plan
In addition to analyzing everything that has already passed in your life, it is worth thinking about what is yet to come. Always plan to be better. After analyzing past actions and incidents in your life, think about how to prevent the mistakes from repeating. Try to predict difficult situations that may arise in your life tomorrow or in a week, and imagine several options for your reaction to them, and then choose the best one in your opinion.
Be sure to keep your mind busy thinking about your goals. How to learn to think about your goals constantly and not forget about them? You can write them down on a piece of paper, and then constantly review this list, reviving them in your memory. Build intermediate goals for every day, week and month. Imagine your future, draw out its possible scenarios, all the time think about how to improve your life in practice.
be careful
Any information perceived by a person first enters the areas of the brain responsible for processing unconscious information, and only after that their interaction with the areas that are activated when a person becomes aware of it begins. We can actively use and remember information that has reached the level of consciousness even years later. And everything that remains in the area of our subconscious can only work for us as intuition.
Why is this feature of the brain important to remember for those who are wondering how to learn to think correctly? The whole point is that if you want some information to remain in your memory and you can then use it for your thoughts, you need to show special interest in it. Only in this case will it make its way from your subconscious into your consciousness and will be available to you in the future.
Therefore, everyone who constantly repeats to themselves: “I want to learn to think,” first of all needs to say to themselves: “I want to be attentive to what I hear and see.” The human brain does not independently determine what information is considered important and what is not. Everything that we do not pay special conscious attention to, he does not consider important and leaves at the level of the subconscious, inaccessible to us.
For example, we remember (because we realized) that we met a friend on the way to work, but we will never remember hundreds of other faces we saw at that time. There is only one conclusion: be extremely focused on the information that you consider valuable for yourself, try to develop the most sincere interest in it. Then it will not escape your consciousness, and you will be able to use it for deep thoughts.
Your experience or following dogma
If people smoke and someone talks about how harmful it is, they rarely listen to other people's advice until they themselves are faced with the trouble that addiction leads to.
When problems with the skin, teeth, lungs, blood vessels and other “rewards” from smoking really begin, then they begin to think about the consequences.
And then, unfortunately, not always.
Working at an unloved job for three kopecks can also be considered a blind mechanical action. Because of the fear of losing stability and habits, and the reluctance to change something, people spend years doing things that do not bring them pleasure, to their detriment.
There are a huge number of different interesting things to do in the world. But it’s scary not to understand what you like and to think that what’s happening around you is the norm.
Be curious
Don't limit yourself to too narrow a range of interests, there are so many exciting things in the world to think about. For example, you go to work and notice a small snail on the road. Instead of just picking it up and taking it to the grass, stop and think: how does this tiny creature live, what does it eat, and how does it raise its babies? Having assumed some answer options, do not forget to find reliable information about this on the Internet when you return from work and compare it with your assumptions.
Have you ever thought, looking at the sky, why it is blue or why the sun shines and warms us, how plant leaves purify the air, or what colors cats and dogs see the world in? And how does our eye work that we see all this? If you train yourself to always look around and be keenly interested in everything that surrounds us, you can not only train your brain to actively work, but also make your life much more interesting.
Having your own opinion about the path to happiness is a trait of a sane person
Everyone has a thousand opportunities to change their world for the better, you just have to open your eyes wider and take the chance. Stop thinking of yourself as a failure. Dragging through existence is a choice, not destiny. You can be even better, happier, healthier, more abundant, more successful than you are now. You just have to want and do it.
No one is trying to impose their opinion, no one has the right to claim that the above is a “great” truth. Each person must have his own opinion, his own thoughts about the path to his own happiness.
And it’s wonderful when a person moves through life purposefully and stubbornly and knows what he wants. This is what I want to see in every person who respects himself and values his life. Everyone has the freedom to create their own life; no one has the right to force them to follow any particular path.
To be able to avoid unnecessary information, to be able to “sort out” what is “sniffed” into us - this is the trait of a sane person.
This is the essence of “not being a zombie.”
Any individual who has his own point of view, especially if it is very different from the opinion of the crowd, must be ready to accept dissatisfaction and criticism addressed to him. And you shouldn’t try to convince the “short-sighted”; the best proof of words is their embodiment in reality and your own example of a happy, fulfilled life.
Come up with exercises for yourself
There are many other answers to the question of how to learn to think for yourself. Use your imagination and come up with tasks for yourself that will help you perceive ordinary things and situations in a completely new way. For example, experts advise taking new routes to work each time, going to different stores, and replacing your everyday phrases with new ones that are unusual for you. Studying a foreign language and reading books improves mental abilities. Try to periodically change the format of your usual films and music - introduce something new into your life.
Don't immediately believe everything they tell you. Research the issue yourself, ask those who know more about it, and then, having a sufficient number of facts, draw your own conclusions. This may take some effort and time, but it will definitely add wisdom and experience. Always try to have your own fact-based opinion.
Think in the game
There are a number of entertaining games that “pump up” our brain. All kinds of crosswords and puzzles will be excellent “weights” for him. In addition, on the Internet you can find an endless number of different games that force us to analyze, compare, remember and plan. Many modern computer games are the answer to the question of how to learn to think quickly. In many of them, winning requires a good reaction and the ability to make decisions instantly.
Such unfairly forgotten board games as chess, checkers and various card games are great for developing logic. Don't neglect them. There are also all sorts of board games on sale that require participants to pay attention, develop tactics, and develop their own strategy. Such a fun and exciting path to self-development is certainly worthy of special attention.
Develop positive thinking
If you want to truly develop as a person, avoid negative thoughts, as they extinguish even the most ardent aspirations and significantly reduce your potential. In addition, anger, resentment, disappointment and envy have an extremely negative impact on human health, causing problems with the circulatory and digestive systems, headaches and insomnia, as well as various emotional and mental disorders.
But how can you learn to think about the good? First of all, you need to make it a rule to carefully monitor the constantly changing thoughts in your head. As soon as you come across a negative one, immediately stop it and replace it with a positive one. Never allow thoughts to fly around chaotically in your head on their own. Such conscious efforts will inevitably result in you developing the habit of thinking positively about everything over time.
Until you develop a strong habit of positive thinking, surround yourself with those who already do so. Always, even when you are not in the mood at all, keep a sincere smile on your face, have a friendly and grateful attitude towards everyone. Notice all the beauty of the world and all the good things that happen to you.
Diversify your thought patterns
No one in the world thinks in exactly the same way, because everyone's life is at least a little different. Each of us faces different problems at different times and reacts to them in our own way. This reaction depends on our natural qualities and upbringing.
Different thought patterns are what make everyone unique. Our identity is formed from the interaction of these models. They create a person's subjective perception.
In essence, a mental model is a hidden rule of thumb with which we connect different aspects of reality together.
And since reality is so complex, it is useful to have many thinking models in your arsenal. The more diverse they are, the more accurate the idea of the world.
Such patterns are made up of loops of habits that we form in response to external impressions. Therefore, the only way to diversify them is to look for new and contradictory experiences. For example, read books, be in unfamiliar surroundings, conduct thought experiments.
How to overcome laziness
Many of those people who wonder how to learn to think are actually good at it, but simply do not use this magnificent ability. The reason for this is simple to the point of banality - mother laziness. Mental activity sometimes absorbs as much energy as hard physical labor. Therefore, while protecting its energy reserves, the body has difficulty agreeing to make such sacrifices. This is why it is sometimes so difficult for us to force ourselves or our children to think, this is where laziness comes from.
If our goal is not degradation, but personal growth, we must make every effort every day to force our brain to work. Don’t be afraid to overtire it – the brain never gets tired, only we get tired. But remember that the more tired we are from intense thinking, the smarter and more developed we become. Our memory and intelligence also improve. We become more self-confident, interesting and useful to others, and our lives become more exciting and happier.
