ChangeLinks: Tools for Positive Thinking

This edition of ChangeLinks features lots of great tips and tools about a subject that is near and dear to many of our hearts: positive thinking. It seems like we all want to get better at this skill, but progress can be frustratingly slow – at least for me.

Fortunately, these bloggers have shared ideas that helped make them happier and their thoughts more positive. Perhaps they’ll work for you.

Complaining is a big cause of unhappiness, and it’s one that is almost epidemic in a lot of families, offices, and groups of friends. Two A-list bloggers have written some great advice for putting the kibosh on this bad habit. In How to Stop Complaining, Steve Pavlina suggests observing your negative thoughts from a distance and recognizing that they are not your identity. He argues that assuming total responsibility for everything in your life gives you action steps beyond complaining.

On a more concrete level, Tim Ferris shared his Real Mind Control: The 21-Day No-Complaint Experiment. In this experiment, he wore a wristband which he had to move to the other wrist every time he complained. I’m a big fan of this technique because it reinforces mindfulness and gradually retrains thought patterns.

David Rogers at Confident1.com has more practical tips for training your mind. His post, Distract Yourself From Self Talk, suggests that you use a disruption technique such as clapping your hands to interrupt a negative thought.

Some of the most positive people I know are always working in pursuit of their dreams, but they do so in very down-to-earth and achievable ways. The Simple Dollar post, When Everyday Life Gets in the Way of Your Dreams shares a great process for continuing to work towards those dreams while still fulfilling your responsibilities at work, with your family, and in your community.

Finally, for those of you interested in learning about some of the more theoretical aspects of happiness and positive thinking, Loving-awareness.org offers Joy at All Times. This post features a great illustration of the spectrum of joy which starts at joy at just being alive and goes all the way through the joy of being one with everything.

So, here you have a great collection of ways to increase your positivity within a few days. What are you waiting for? Grab yourself a rubber band and start thinking positively Then come back and tell us about your experiences in the comments.