Pledge to say nothing negative for one day

[Mistic]

I did this yesterday as a conscious choice. I am mostly positive, but situations can certainly get annoying at times. For example, getting run off the road yesterday. But just as I was about to complain or say anything negative, to myself or others, I would just stop, and not say it.

I good follow up practice to diffuse any irritation is to recognize the emotion you are feeling, and say to your self, "That's just anger," or "thats just frustration. It is only a passing emotion, and it's okay to feel this way."

Anyone interested in trying this for a day, report here with your results. You might be surprised at how easy it can be.

 

[KontrollerX]

Tony Robbin's has a longer variation of this called "The 7 day mental diet" where for 7 days you stop every negative thought in its tracks and replace it with either nothing or a positive thought.

In anycase good job with your variant of it Mistic.

 

[Jitterbug]

Anyone interested in trying this for a day, report here with your results. You might be surprised at how easy it can be.

I've been doing that everyday for the last 18 months. It's been amazing!

I've never read Tony Robbin. I started that after reading a section in The Seven Habits by Stephen Covey, in which he said how human beings are self-aware and could detach and observe ourselves. Whenever a negative situation comes up, I'd imagine myself being an objective independent observer looking at me and my situation and analyzing it without the emotions, and then finding the positives that I can take from it.

The results:

- Everyday is a good day. Whatever I do, I have fun with it.
- When things don't go my way, it's a lot easier for me to deal with them as I'm not dragged down mentally with negative emotions.
- I seem to have boundless energy & joy in whatever I do.
- People definitely notice it and are more drawn to me, and say that they like how I'm always energetic and positive.

My game with women started to improve significantly at the same time.

 

[Mistic]

I'm not dragged down mentally with negative emotions.

Sounds like you are doing great. Seeing from a neutral perspective is powerful.

But if I can comment on this one idea. The only emotions that are negative are the ones that are not acknowledged. We are taught to think of anger and other negative emotions as bad, when in fact they are perfectly normal and good. It is only when we suppress them that they drag us down.

There is something very transformative that happens when we begin to allow ourselves to feel the emotions the rise up in us. This is not to get caught in them, and react with them, but just simply to recognize them, know that it is perfectly alright to feel that way, and let it pass through you.

 

[Jitterbug]

I agree. Negative emotions are valid and are to be acknowledged, not denied or suppressed. They can have great power over us. We all know how powerful sadness or anger can be.

My way to look at it from a neutral perspective is to recognize such power and make use of them, instead of having them work against me.

Someone made a comment to me the other day that I always look so happy and never get angry. I said no, I do get angry at times, but I save my anger for things that are worth getting angry about. I use my anger as the energy and motivation for me to do something about the things that cause it, instead of letting it take control of me and having to fight back.

We all have our dark side. It's better to control and make use of it than to fight against it.

I went through a couple of years when I was rather down. I felt negative emotions about things that weren't worth it (in hindsight) and I let them drag me down and suck the life out of me. They held me back and I let them stop me from moving on and growing. I still feel the same emotions now but only when they're warranted and I don't let them stop me from moving on with my life.

 

[Ricky]

Sounds like you are doing great. Seeing from a neutral perspective is powerful.

But if I can comment on this one idea. The only emotions that are negative are the ones that are not acknowledged. We are taught to think of anger and other negative emotions as bad, when in fact they are perfectly normal and good. It is only when we suppress them that they drag us down.

There is something very transformative that happens when we begin to allow ourselves to feel the emotions the rise up in us. This is not to get caught in them, and react with them, but just simply to recognize them, know that it is perfectly alright to feel that way, and let it pass through you.

I agree with you guys. One other thing i think is important is to find several ways to change our state when we find ourselves feeling negative.

I have become more enlightened in feeling anger as a necessary thing.

With adding meditation to my life and continuing an exercise plan I've done for years I can stay in a good mood. That and feeling grateful is very important as you've noted.

I think alot of my negativity now is based on comparing myself with others. I feel like I do an unfair amount of the work sometimes at work and that drains me. But I did realize that if everyone was super busy like me, I'd actually feel better. Kind of weird huh? If not for the comparison I'd be too busy to care.