Thoughts come from you. Someone can't tell you what to think. Oftentimes we don't even know why we are thinking about something, they just seem to pop into our heads. This is our subconscious at play. If you want to gain the full power of strength, you have to learn how to manage thought’s impact on actions. This is where the power of examination and positive thinking come to play.
When we hear about positive thought and positive reinforcement, we usually think, “get that zen-bullshit out of here.” I was definitely one of those people. I thought I was just being real. In reality, I was being pessimistic. So much so, that I was voted class pessimist my senior year of high-school 😳. I walked around thinking if something wasn't handed to me, then I wasn't meant to have it. However, I have since had a change in mindset. I can now say with confidence that believing in something, either positively or negatively, will impact the outcome.
I was at a low point during college where I just felt like I was wasting away not utilizing my skills and just being a lazy POS. I decided I wanted to play football again. With this decision, I completely put my mind to it. My actions then followed those thoughts and beliefs. I knew I could and would make UCONN’s football team. I fully believed in myself and my goal. My high self efficacy helped me make those beliefs become reality. I suited up the very next season. Had I still had my pessimistic view of life, I would have continued down that path of barely going to class and indulging in a little too much glaucoma treatment. I wouldn't be where I am today had I not changed my outlook.
What changed? A lot changed. For me, it all stems from just thinking more positively. I control what I can, which happens to be my actions. So, if I can't control a situation, I know I can control how I react to it. This is one of the most valuable lessons I've learned. It has helped to make me a fairly disciplined individual. If you find your self thinking negatively, try examining the thought. See if the thought is justified or if it's just your mind being paranoid and cautious. Throw some positivity in there and see if you can turn the negativity around. If doubt crawls in, forget that noise. Try to think of what you can do, not what you can't.
Saying you can't do something is giving yourself an easy excuse to not do. I read somewhere recently that, “The ‘I don't have time to (fill in the blank)’ is the adult equivalent to, ‘my dog ate my homework.’” I couldn't agree more with that statement. I look at some of the most successful and busy people currently, Gary Vaynerchuk, The Rock, Kevin Hart, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Ferris. All of them make time for exercise. So, instead of focusing on the can’t, focus on the can. You can show up to the gym with an open and positive mind, ready to grow and get better. If you focus on not being able to squat 500 lbs day one, then it's hard to enjoy the ride. Then, it's much harder to be driven to show up every day. Making a list of things you can do goes a long way towards turning thoughts into action. It also helps to gain a more positive mind and better self-image.
Thinking is believing and you must believe in yourself if you want to get the results you seek. We are all capable of achieving almost whatever we want, as long as we actually believe it and are willing to put the work in towards it. Believe in yourself and think positively. Once you're able to do that, you will see some serious improvement in how you feel about yourself, the world, and others.