Negative thinking… it’s a killer of dreams and drainer of energy. And we all suffer from it on some level.

It can be pretty frustrating to accept all the spontaneous doubts and fears that just leap out of our minds like unwanted pop up windows. It can be like surfing the Web a couple of years ago: you’re crusing along just fine when out of nowhere… BAM… you get it by a pop up that won’t close!

And I was just thinking about how new Web browsers and default operating system tools have made the pop up ad pretty much obsolete on the Internet. By the same token we can achieve a state of mind where negative thinking is reduced to a passing shadow.

We can install a sort of pop up killer in our minds that eradicates negative thoughts and images the moment they occur. Keep reading for suggestions on how I do this.

It’s worth pointing out that our tendency to think in “negative” terms is believed by scientists to be an attribute left over from a more primitive time. Thousands of years ago (and longer) our species had a lot of “competition” and numerous natural enemies; it is commonly assumed the general state of awareness for early humans was one of negative expectation.

Survival actually depended on assuming the worst possibility was waiting just over the next hill or that great danger was constantly at hand. Today, with less legitimate concern about predators (in the developed world at least) and far less worry associated with basic survival needs, this instinctive mental energy is channeled into other forms of apprehension.

So if you struggle with doubt, fear, mistrust, and insecurity the fact is you are functioning from a somewhat normal state. But the good news is that we don’t have to accept this condition as permanent.

Since we are far more developed than our primitive ancestors we can choose to recognize the “flaw” in our thought patterns and actively deal with it. Here’s how:

Recognizing What Thoughts Really Are (And Aren’t)

First of all, we can understand that our thoughts flow constantly through our minds. Perhaps they come from memories, current experience, and impressions that have been suggested by others; whatever their source the majority of our thoughts just rise and subside constantly like tidal waters.

We do not have to identify or associate directly with any of the thoughts that pass through our minds. We are NOT our thoughts - in fact our thoughts are simply a naturally occurring stream of information produced by the phenomenon of consciousness.

What this essentially means is you can affirm to yourself that your thoughts do not own you, nor are they a firm representation of who/what you are! You have the power to entertain and accept only those thoughts that serve you, and to simply let negative thoughts pass away.

This realization was one of the most empowering moments of my life. In fact coming to this point in your self-awareness is very much a part of the mental and emotional enlightenment that spiritual adepts seek through years of meditation and contemplation.

There is no need to feel threatened or controlled by your thoughts. You can simply choose to acknowledge and use them, to watch them as they drift away, or to pay them no heed at all!

Transmuting Negative Thoughts Without Resisting Them

Another powerful technique you can use is to simply recognize a negative thought and then use the momentum of the thought process to literally transmute, or transform, it into positive thinking.

Once you become aware of negative thinking or images, immediately ask yourself: “What is it I really want?”

This provides you with the opportunity to insert your positive alternative and, using the energy created by the initial negative thought, literally transform your current thought process to a supportive one. For example…

Let’s say Claire is driving to meet her date at the movies for their first time out. She begins to imagine him turning out to be a jerk who is only interested in her for physical reasons; this is a common issue with men she meets and this concern pops up often when she meets someone new.

Immediately upon becoming aware of the negative thought she asks herself: “If I don’t want to meet another jerk, then what is it I really want?”

She answers the question with: “I want a guy who has a real interest in getting to know who I am, what I like and don’t like, and what I think about important issues.”

With this, she finds herself imagining the man she is on her way to meet as a charming character who asks her lots of questions and hangs on her every word. And he’s not just playing along - he really seems to want to hear her thoughts! In a matter of seconds Claire is immersed in a vivid fantasy about having her ideal date!

This is a very powerful advanced thought technique. It takes a little practice, and it requires you to seek awareness of the current moment throughout your day. But it is definitely something you can master with just a little work.

I hope these ideas help you overcome your negative thinking and install your own mental pop up killers.

I’m sure you have learned that it’s important to focus your attention on the thngs you want in life. By doing this in a cheerful manner and practicing the feeling of already having what you desire you will of course manifest your ideal life.

However, as you surely know, our mind does not always cooperate with us. In fact sometimes it seems determined to flash before us images and feelings that completely contradict what we wish to manifest.

There are many articles online about how to get clear of such thinking, and even how to counteract negative imagery the minute it enters your mind. But I want to go in a different direction with this post.

Let’s imagine for a moment that everything we experience, including our sometimes bizarre and random thought patterns, ultimately move us in the direction we want to travel. From this perspective even those annoying flashes of negativity and doubt can be used for our ultimate good.

Consider this: For most people it’s difficult to articulate what they really want in life. It’s not uncommon for it to take a long time (as in months) to really identify what an ideal life would look, sound, and feel like.

And even when we have a crystal clear picture it can begin to slip away if we don’t manage our intentions correctly. This is common for the majority of us, even when we have a good understanding of attraction and manifestation.

We can use our negative thinking, and our awareness of what we don’t want to our advantage. And we can do so either by consciously bringing what we don’t  want to mind, or we can just wait for these things to surface on their own and then turn the tables by using them in a productive manner when they do!

Here’s how this exercise can work…

The next time you become aware of the things, people, and events you don’t want as part of your life, embrace the thoughts. Spend a minute building a clear picture in your mind, and even make a detailed list of what these undesirable things consist of.

Don’t allow fear or anger to be a part of this experience. Detach yourself form the undesired experiences and just become intellectually aware of them in great detail.

Hold this in your mind for a few minutes, and then let it go. Then immediately bring up the things, people, and events you really do want as part of your life.

If you have made a detailed list about the things you don’t want, now is the time to contrast that list with details about what you do want. And as you think in vivid pictures about what you want, bring your emotions into play.

Notice how you now feel even more strongly about what you want! This is due to the stark contrast created by visualizing what you do not want beforehand.

This exercise has tremendous power, and variations of it are taught by many Law of Attraction writers like Joe Vitale, Michael Losier, and others. I strongly recommend you give it a try, and if it feels empowering to you consider using it from time to time.

To have an abundant life you must first become a good receiver. This is an obvious fact many of us overlook.

By default a lot of us are lousy receivers. We downplay compliments, refuse to let others buy us lunch, and get hung up on exactly how we are “supposed to” get most of our money. This must change or we’ll stay (relatively) poor and frustrated.

Open yourself up to the gifts of the Universe and other people:

When someone pays you a compliment thank them.

If another person offers to buy your movie ticket, your meal, etc. take it and thank them!

Be open to getting money from anywhere and not just from your job or business. This is a big one… many times we obsess with our “primary” income stream and thus shut ourselves off from the flow of money from elsewhere.

Rejoice any time you receive even the smallest gift. If you find a dime in the parking lot celebrate out loud! If you get $1 off a grocery store item with a coupon be trhilled about it! Abundance comes in many forms and we should count them all as blessings to be grateful for.

By getting into this reception mode we create the vibration of joyful receiving. Hence we open the door to even bigger and better gifts from life.

Change the way you look at receiving for just one week and you’ll be shocked and amazed with your new results. Get into the frame of mind of deserving as much good stuff as life wants to throw at you and your cup will surely “runneth over“!