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.

The way we think and feel about money will define how money comes into our life, the role it plays, how much of it we will have, etc. Let me give you a classic example of bad thinking that will keep you broke, vs. right thinking that will help you prosper:

You will probably agree that we all have monthly bills to pay. There are expenses like housing, phone, gas, cable, groceries, and more that are going to be a part of our lives every month without fail.

Your list of regular expenses might be a little different from the above, but don’t get lost in the detail. My point is everyone has standard bills and expenses, and this fact is not going to change unless our global economy evolves past money into some sort of Star Trek system.

In other words: you will be paying your bills month after month for the rest of your life.

You can choose to groan and complain, and feel badly about this fact. The result will be a scarcity consciousness and constant fear of running out of money, not having enough, etc. This is a pretty lousy way to live, and I promise you abundance will never come into your life while you are thinking like this.

Instead, you can choose to think abundantly: Feel joy because you get to contribute to our modern economy by circulating money to your phone providers, grocery store, and cable company. You are adding real value to the world and helping these businesses prosper, create more jobs, and provide better service to their customers!

And notice the term circulate. Stop spending money right now and begin to circulate it instead! When you”spend” something it’s gone, but when you circulate it, you’ll see and hold it again when it passes back through your life.

This simple exercise of changing the way you think about your bills will have an enormous impact on your life. You’ll feel a weight lifted, and you’ll begin to feel happy about the normal process of using your money to pay for necessary supplies and utilities.

It’s a blessing to be part of an advanced society that allows us to have cell phones, computers, readily packaged foods, and more. So practice being thrilled to participate, and blessing the companies you circulate your wealth to.

You will benefit tremendously from your new prosperity mindset.

Most people seem to believe two things about happines:

1. It’s something that results from external events and “stuff”.
2. It’s something to be worked toward, rather than to be enjoyed in the now.

Both of these concepts are, in my opinion, seriously flawed. Happiness comes from within, and can be achieved in the immediate present regardless of what is going on around you, and regardless of how many toys you currently own.

Try this:

Force yourself to smile right now. Create the biggest, widest smile you can and hold it for three minutes while thinking about the things and people you love most in life.

If you honestly performed the exercise above you just felt happiness flow through not only your thoughts, but into your physical body. In fact studies have shown that patients doing the above exercise while looking at themselves in a mirror for 20 minutes each day have been able to stop taking prescription drugs for clinical depression!

Happiness is a choice, and it’s here for you right now! and choosing happiness is the absolute first step in your journey toward abundance.

Practice creating happiness at random intervals during your day, and work at holding onto the sensation for as long as you can. Master this and you’ll have access to an amazing power of creation that can literally transform your life.