The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for.
– Zig Ziglar
The Negative Impact of the Don’t Have Mentality
Do you spend a good portion of your life focused on what you don’t have? The late Dr. Candace Pert, a pioneer in the field of neuroscience , identified what she called the “molecules of emotion,” and documented how our thoughts create an inner chemistry that either agitates and imbalances us, or helps us to heal and enter states of inner peace, calmness, and happiness.
If you have been bombarding your cells with a negative dialogue you literally are pumping up more cells of negatively. Worse yet, you are lessening the number of receptive cells that will embrace a positive-dialogue. Unknowingly, you are setting yourself up to be inclined towards negativity.
Rewire Your Brain and Become More Optimistic
It was believed until recently that the human brain, which consists of around 100 billion neural cells, could not generate new ones. The old model assumed that each of us was born with a finite number of neural cells and when a cell died no new cell could grow. This old model of the brain’s inability to regenerate new nerve cells is no longer relevant. It has been proven that certain areas in the brain can generate fresh cells. This phenomenon is referred to as neuroplasticity.
Dr. Marty Seligman, pioneer in the field of positive psychology embraced this new model and has determined that we can learn to be more optimistic by rewiring our brain to think and feel more positive .
Focus on What You Have To Be Grateful For and Transform Your Life
How empowering to know that you don’t have to fall victim to negativity. Now you know you can stop the negative thinking loop. You’re not destined to be a pessimist!
When you find yourself focusing on what you don’t have begin to bring your focus back to what you do have in life. Practicing a state of gratitude will enable you to create new positive neuro pathways in your brain.
You can take baby steps to move into this way of thinking and behaving. Each morning as you awaken, simply be grateful you have a bed to sleep in, water to take a shower, clothes to wear, food to eat. Really feel the gratitude in your bones. After practicing this for a few days, begin to log what you are grateful for on a daily basis into a gratitude journal. The act of doing this wills strengthen this new way of thinking and behaving. Before you know it, you’ll be living in a more blissful state.