Overcoming negativity is a major step towards building your
self esteem. Many of the symptoms of low
self esteem such as feelings of unworthiness, lack of self-confidence and
depression can be controlled by living a life of positive thinking.
“That initial thought, if given residence in the mind, is
the spark that ignites the action. And
success or failure depends on whether that thought is positive or
negative.”This quote from Norman Vincent Peale in his book The Power of Positive Living shows the magnitude of our
thinking. This also reveals why so many
people with low self esteem fail to excel or live satisfying and fulfilling
lives. The negative thoughts they
constantly speak to themselves determine their fate even before the action is
taken.
Thus, if you say to yourself, “I’m not smart enough,” you
will subconsciously behave that way. If
you say to yourself, “I’m going to lose” then your chances of winning are slim
to none. Speaking such negativity makes
success almost impossible and overcoming difficulties and hardships can end in
defeat. On the other hand, thinking, “I am smart” or “I am going to win,”
greatly increases your chances of success.
However, many have been practicing this very bad habit of negativity
for quite some time. Overcoming
negativity can be difficult for them because it is so deeply rooted in their
every thought. What is the solution?
“The best way, I’ve found to eliminate negative thought is to instantly
supplant it with a positive thought.”
This is how the once shy and ill confident Norman Peale took control of
his negativity. You can take control as
well by making it a practice to think positively. Sometimes negativity will creep up into your
thoughts, but by immediately thinking positively you will eventually begin to
think and act in a healthier fashion.
Here is a great story that Dr. Peale told in his Power of Positive Living book. It shows that
overcoming negativity in your life can bring great success. It starts out with a gentleman who just came
out of the army. He had great intentions
to build a better life for himself and his family. However, the more he tried to build a
successful business the more his situation grew out of control. Filled with
feelings of negativity he started to gamble his life away and became an
addict. Overcoming his addiction seemed
impossible, not to mention that he was now jobless and deeply in debt. He was on the verge of committing suicide but
fortunately decided to end his gambling addiction by joining a support group
for addicts.
He eventually gave up his gambling habits and began living a
life of positivity. By overcoming a
lifestyle of negativity he was able to get his dignity back and build his self
esteem. He is now a vice president and
treasurer of an insurance company.
What an inspiring story!
Instead of taking his life he realized that overcoming negativity was
the answer to living a happy and successful life.
No matter how difficult life may be or how many mistakes you
have made, overcoming negativity can give you the fulfillment and contentment
that you have only dreamed about. All
you have to do is get in the habit of thinking positively at all times.
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