We all fall into a trap of negative thinking once in a while. Negative thinking makes us feel sad and worried. It often leads to overthinking and creating some crazy scenarios in our minds. Some time ago, I wrote a blog about the power of our minds. I talked about how our thoughts and emotions influence our reality. Most of the thoughts we are thinking today are repetitious. The thoughts we were thinking yesterday, we often carry with us to today. So, there is not a surprise, you may call yourself (or others will do) a negative thinker, if you are constantly dwelling on the same negative frequency. The good news is, there are many fantastic techniques we can use to let go of negative thoughts and adopt a new, healthy thinking patterns. I would like to share with you a five helpful ways, which can help you to let go of negative thoughts. I hope they will inspire you.
1. Rising above negativity
You are the only one choosing your thoughts, so begin to choose the good ones. It can sound easier said than done, but stay with me. The change always begins with changing your mindset. I believe that one positive thought can cancel even hundred of negative thoughts. Focusing your attention on what you want and how you want to feel, instead of placing it onto what you don’t want to experience, will make a magical shift in your thinking. Your thoughts, and also the words you speak out loud, are very powerful. They effect your subconscious. Every time a negative thought arises, replace it with the positive thought. This is a quick and effective way to begin training your mind to think in a more positive way.
2. Positive affirmations
I often talk about positive affirmations, because they work (when you use them). Using positive affirmations can re-train your mind. There are three important keys to using positive affirmations. Affirmations need to be positive, personal and in a present tense. I call them a 3 P’s. For example: “I am feeling happy and excited about my life.” It is positive, it is personal and it is in a present tense. Affirmations can help you shift your perception of life. When you catch yourself wandering to a negative thinking pattern, try to think the exact opposite, by creating a positive affirmation. For example: If you worry about a meeting at work, you can use this powerful affirmation: “I am only attracting positive people and positive situations into my life. Everything is working out for me.” Create your own affirmations and use them regularly, not only when you feel stressed, negative or upset. I also recommend using positive affirmation first thing in the morning upon waking up. So, before checking your emails and getting on with your daily tasks, take a few deep breaths and repeat some positive affirmations to start your day right. Positive affirmations may feel like a lie to you when you start using them, but after a while, you will be amazed how beneficial they actually are. Begin today.
3. Erasing negative thoughts
One of my favourite techniques is visualising writing my negative thoughts on an imaginary blackboard. Once they are written down, I imagine, I am erasing them. As they are being erased, I feel they are also being released from my life. The next powerful technique is seeing the negative thoughts on a big screen (e.g. a big TV or a cinema screen ). As you are looking at the words on this screen, visualise, they are shrinking, getting smaller and smaller, until they completely disappear. Try these techniques and see if they work for you.
4. Re-evalute your relationships
Do you spend most of your time around negative people? No wonder you are feeling negative or de-motivated. The people we spend the most time with is exactly what we become. People who are constantly complaining, blaming others, are not a very good company to be around. Re-evaluating your relationships doesn’t mean you are blaming them. It means you are noticing what is going on around you, and how this is effecting your life and the way you feel. It also doesn’t mean to cut these people off from your life. Maybe you can talk to them and try to help them, or if that doesn’t help, choose how much time you actually want to invest in these relationships. If the negative people are a members of your family, remember that you cannot change anybody, unless they want to change. What you can do, is be an example of your own beautiful (positive) self. After a while, they may start mirroring your own positive energy.
5. Release and surrender
Here is a spiritual tip for you. Release and surrender the negative thoughts to the care of the Universe. We often try to control everything that happens to us. We want everything to go our way, but we forget, that everything that happens to us, is serving our highest good. There is always a lesson we are learning. When you are caught up in a spiral of negative thinking and nothing else works to lift yourself up, release and surrender your negative thoughts. Say to the Universe: “I don’t know what is going on, but I am done with feeling this way. I am willing to surrender all these thoughts to you, Universe. Please, help me to see the light in my life, and help me to shift my perception.” Then, release it. Trust and know, the higher power of the Universe is taking care of the rest. Remember to think positive and positive things will happen.
Dear friend,
I am an introvert. When I say this to people, I often surprise them. But it is true. I am an introvert who expresses herself as an extrovert. Over the years, I learnt how to be confident and speak up for myself, although it doesn’t come naturally to me. When I was growing up I had a very rich inner world. Most of the time I was living in my mind and I had a very vivid imagination. Luckily I brought this imagination to my adult life as well. I have always been very creative and inspired by everything and everyone. When I saw a beautiful tree for example, I could instantly write a poem, a song or an essay about its beauty. This has shaped my world. But when it came to talking to others, I was scared, shy and very uncomfortable. At school, when the teacher asked a question, I was afraid to raise my hand. I often knew the right answer, but just to prevent an embarrassing moment in case it wasn’t the right one I stayed quiet. I didn’t have many friends at the time. When somebody wanted to be friends with me, I was over the moon. When I finally made some friends, I wanted to be a good friend to them. Therefore I would do anything to keep them in my life. This included saying yes when I meant no. At the early age I learned a negative habit of putting other people’s needs before my own. I would go out of my way to make other people happy, but sadly on my account. Many knew my weakness and often took advantage of it. I brought this habit with me to my adult life, so people would continue to like me. It took me years to actually start getting comfortable saying no to others, when I actually wanted to say no. I never wanted to upset anyone, so it was extremely tough for me. It was making me feel uncomfortable every time, and it still does occasionally. But it did become easier now, because I am older, wiser and I clearly state what I want. Are you, like I used to be? Do you often say yes, when you mean no, just to be nice? Take a deep breath and carry on reading.
A few weeks ago I took a morning walk through the streets of New York. As I was about to cross the road, I looked down on the pavement, and there I saw a message: ‘Fulfil your purpose’. I immediately smiled and took it as a sign. The sign of the Universe I cannot deny. These kind of signs are everywhere and often appear in the most unexpected shapes and forms. The ‘Fulfil your purpose’ message on the pavement, was another sign for me to carry on with the work I came here to do, and I enjoy the most: “To be of service to people and teach them how to align more and more with their truth.” To be authentic and proud of who I am and by living this way, inspire others to do the same. I am a dedicated student of the truth, and I try to live as truthfully and authentically as possible. Although it wasn’t always this way. Many lessons I have learnt about living in my truth came the hard way. Looking back, I wouldn’t exchange a single one of those lessons. I am grateful for them. The message I saw in New York on the pavement that morning was a confirmation, that I have chosen the right path and I should carry on.
A thought to keep 
Many things happen throughout our lives. Good, bad, exciting or challenging. People come to our lives, then they leave. Sometimes, even without any explanation. I have experienced it many times in my own life. Many people hurt me, turned their backs to me, often when I needed them most. I could write pages and pages about my past hurts, disappointments and sadness. Well, we all could. But here, at Mystic Butterfly, we focus on how to make our journey here on the Earth happy and fulfilling one. We focus on how to see the light in the dark moments of life, instead of focusing on what is not currently working. This also applies to the past hurts and disappointments. It is important to understand, that some people come to our lives for a lifetime, others have shorter roles to play. But every single one of them can be our teacher, if we choose to see them that way.
Most of us compare ourselves to other people. We think some people are luckier, prettier or cleverer than us. We often compare ourselves to others by making idols of them. But what if that idol fails? Do you still want to be like them? We are envious or jealous of others. We sometimes criticise and judge people, we don’t even know. But is there really something to criticise, or are we only jealous of something they may have and we don’t? From a spiritual perspective, the people and situation are always sent on our path, so we begin to look inward, and perhaps learn something from them. Every time I find myself in these kind of situations, I ask myself: “What is it in me that is making me to judge, compare, criticise, being jealous or envious of others?” The other person is often a mirror of our inner state. The other person, can also be a mirror of our own inner beauty, which we may have forgotten about for a while. So what can we learn when we find ourselves in these situations?
I have a very exciting topic for you this week. Let’s talk about personal development. I am personally obsessed by learning new things. I cannot imagine a day without reading an inspiring literature or listening to a motivational podcast. Over the last few years, I learnt how to motivate myself. I am not saying, I am always positive and happy. But, when the negative moments strike, I try to embrace them, and don’t hang around in them for too long now. Dedicating time to your personal development daily, can improve the quality of your life. You become more positive, inspired, with the fresher outlook on life in general. Bellow are some suggestion, which can help you.
I believe our life’s experiences are always a reflection of our inner state. Whatever we believe, we like or dislike about ourselves will be reflected back to us, exactly like a reflection in a mirror. This also applies to judging others. One day, I was waiting in a queue at the coffee shop. There was a young woman in front of me wearing a very short skirt. Out of the blue, after examining her entire outfit, I noticed myself judging her in my mind. My negative monologue went like this: ‘I cannot believe how short is the skirt she is wearing? She probably wants some attention. I would never wear it myself! After a little while, I witnessed my self-talk. I immediately felt embarrassed. I was attacking an innocent person in my mind and I don’t even know her. Who am I to judge? (I asked myself). I was not proud of my thoughts, and this judgement was a huge wake-up call for me. We all occasionally detour into the dark places of judgement, and that’s okay. I have a few tips, which I believe can help you when you wander to the Judgement town. 
We all want to feel happy and fulfilled in all areas of our lives. We all search for happiness every single day. Sometimes the search looks like an endless challenge. Another time, we find happiness in a temporary situation. But are we genuinely happy? In this blog, you will find out, that happiness is not something you can find ‘out there’, but it is actually something you already possess within you. And you can access this inner state just by changing your perspective. The purpose of your life, is to be happy and to fully enjoy the experience of being a human. The purpose of your life, is to have fun on this adventure called life, not struggle through it. So let’s have a look at some ideas here.