One word for negative thought

Someone recently asked me for a phrase or saying that would help them think more positively…my answer was not what they expected.

by, Lisa Herman, PsyD, LP

Someone recently asked me to help them learn how to stop their negative thoughts. Their entire life has been emotionally lopsided from negative thinking. For them, it was often comical to try another way to think. Thank goodness for their humor! In the search to even things out emotionally, they thought I had a phrase, a mantra, a sentiment, or an uplifting quote perhaps. But, once I told them the word they could use to help balance their negative thoughts, they didn’t know what to say. It seemed so simple, yet so strange. I told them about a new way to use a three-letter word that is in our vocabulary hundreds of times a day. However, most don’t typically use it in this manner…for balance…for self-compassion. The word is “AND”. Before I dive into how to use this word to help balance thoughts, let’s first understand why some people think and feel more negatively than others.

For many people who turn to therapy for support, one of the hardest things they work on is decreasing those darn negative thoughts. Why some have a stronger negative thought pattern, which often times makes life feel scary and difficult, stem from a variety of factors including:

Biology, genetics: including one theory that some people are genetically wired to perceive emotional events more vividly than others, especially negative life events.

One’s ability to recognize and regulate emotions: some people are better than others at identifying feelings and knowing how to cope. Distinguishing between anger and sadness is a skill and not everyone has learned. Once we know what we feel we can apply the most appropriate reaction/behavior to it. The goal is to do this by choice, but sometimes emotions are stronger than logic!

Clinically diagnosed anxiety or depressive disorders: negativity isn’t just an annoyance for many, it impairs their functioning and is overwhelming. Therapy and/or medication can be of help to many suffering from clinical psychiatric difficulties.

It’s contagious: have you ever been around others that are happy and positive? How do you feel when you leave their presence? Conversely, how do you feel when you are around people who are consistently negative. It can bring us down even if we were not down in the first place.

Chaotic environment during early childhood: if we did not have a safe, consistent, loving, and/or positively-attached upbringing, our brain can wire itself for survival. Watching out for the negative is a survival “tactic” in order to be prepared for the next emotionally (or physically) dangerous event.

Negativity is not the enemy in an of itself. Sometimes things in life are just negative. You get fired from your job suddenly. A hurricane rips away your home and years of sentimental belongings. Someone you love passes away. Life has it’s fair share of negatives. Some days are just negative, heck some weeks can be a bubble of blah. It’s when pervasive negative thoughts can’t seem to find relief that the use of the word AND can help.Learning how to use the word “AND” (which is a conjunction that joins two separate words/phrases) helps provide balance to our thoughts. Balance leads to self-compassion and a healthier emotional relationship with ourselves.Now that we know why some are more negative than others and a good word we can use to help balance our thoughts, let’s practice; that’s the best way to become better at this skill (yes learning how to think more balanced is a skill). First, we acknowledge your initial automatic negative thought…“I am really bad a basketball” AND then continue the sentence with a more balanced logical statement that is also true such as “When I practice something I typically get better.”  Most people will stop at the first half of that sentence and sit with the negativity. Somehow, we forgot about all the times we were bad at things (like walking, talking, pooping in our pants) and with practice we got better. Let’s try another one. “Today life just sucked”  AND “I’m going to go for a walk and clear my head to come up with a plan to make it a better night.” Sometimes the day does not go well (or it seems like everything in that day didn’t go well) AND you have strategies for how you are going to balance it out. See? I just demonstrated another example. Now, you try.

The use of the word AND may not work for every negative experience or emotion we have, but if you truly think hard about what else can join the negative automatic thought after the AND, you will be surprised how often you can come up with something realistic. We don’t want to try to erase the negative feelings we have – we want to try to balance them out with self-compassionate statements and using AND can help us do just that.

Dr. Lisa Herman is the founder of Synergy eTherapy and licensed psychologist. Contact Dr. Herman today for your FREE consultation by clicking HERE.

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I’ll never forget the first time I heard that the way I was talking to myself, realizing how it directly influenced every aspect of my life. We can be our own worst enemy at times and our internal conversation and negative thoughts can be extremely limiting. Like most people, I was blind to this somewhat obvious piece of information.

Eventually, I realized that the negative thoughts I had weren’t facts at all, but instead self imposed limitations that I was putting on myself, which I also had the power to remove. Over the last decade, it has become very clear to me that most of us actually have very similar negative thoughts. Here are some of the most common negative thoughts we all have and what we should think instead.

1. I Am Not Good Enough

Have you ever thought that you weren’t good enough? When we feel that we aren’t good enough, we tend to drown in this emotion of self-doubt and pity. It can be a symptom of low self-esteem, but the truth is that every one is good enough.

You might not have the skills or tools to achieve what you want now, but you are certainly good enough and worthy of receiving what you want in life. If you have a $10 bill, and it falls on the ground into a puddle of mud, does that $10 lose its value? Of course not! So why do you feel that you lose value based on what you have done in life?

What to Think Instead

Instead of saying, “I am not good enough,” tell yourself that you are worthy of all you desire in this life, just like everyone else^[1]. Focus on the things you like about yourself in this moment. You can even make a written list and post it nearby if it helps you to see it each day^[2]. 

2. I Can’t Do It

“Can’t” is one of the most limiting words that you can tell yourself. Henry Ford once said,

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.”

If you tell yourself that you can’t, you are sending messages to your mind and brain that you can’t, and so that will be your experience. Your mind won’t try if you have already told it that something is impossible. 

What to Think Instead

Instead of focusing your negative thoughts on what you think you can’t do, tell yourself, “I can do whatever I put my mind to.” While we all do have limitations, believing in your abilities in the first step to achieving your short and long term goals in life. 

And sometimes, you may just need a little motivation boost. Get the Instant Motivation Boost Worksheet, it’s a free worksheet that will guide you to do the little things for an instant boost of motivation. Grab the free worksheet here.

3. I’m Not as Lucky as Other People

This thought normally comes from holding an illusion that other people’s lives are better and they are luckier, and that is what separates you from them. “Perfect” doesn’t exist, and there is often a lot of effort that goes behind that perceived “luck.”

It is very disempowering to think that life will never offer you good things; the truth is that if you tap into some gratitude, you’ll see that you already have good things all around you. 

What to Think Instead

Instead of focusing on all the luck others seem to have, tell yourself, “Good things can and will happen to me.” Use a sense of gratitude to begin to notice all of the good things you would normally never notice. For example, when was the last time you felt grateful for the roof over your head, the food in your fridge, or your comfy bed?

4. I Don’t Think I’ll Ever…

Whatever you believe will become your reality, this is true. You shape your future every day by the choices you make and your habits. You can sabotage your opportunities by limiting yourself with negative thoughts.

What would it be like if you believed that you could do what you really desired and have the experiences you wished instead? It is not about getting it right the first time, but trying. Don’t stop yourself before you have even given yourself a chance.

What to Think Instead

Don’t limit yourself with negative thought patterns that tell you you’ll never do something. Instead, tell yourself, “I am confident I will…” Even if you don’t feel confident in this moment, feeding your brain positive thoughts will slowly build confidence over time. 

5. I Should Be Better Than I Am

Using the word “should” in this context makes this a truly negative thought and makes one feel less than they are. How often do you find yourself saying “I should be more clever, more disciplined, more productive, etc. than I am”? Remember how you feel immediately afterwards?

What to Think Instead

Tell yourself, “I am making an effort to change what I don’t like.” Everyone has parts of themselves that they hope to improve, and this is certainly possible, but it requires approaching these things with a sense of self-love and patience. 

Set yourself goals for the things you are not happy with instead of telling yourself what you “should” be like or be doing. Take action the things you wish to change and remove limiting modals from your vocabulary.

Here are some ways you can start to improve yourself.

6. I Am Not Strong Enough

It’s normal to feel that you are not strong enough at times^[3]. We are all human, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel weak at times. What is important though, is the conversation you have with yourself afterwards. If you keep reinforcing the fact that you don’t feel strong with negative thoughts, how can you expect to feel?

What to Think Instead

Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, tell yourself that you are strong enough to deal with the challenges in front of you, and support yourself in finding the strength you need in that moment.

7. Nobody Cares

It might feel that you are alone at times and that nobody cares, but I am convinced that there are people thinking about you that you don’t even know of. People do care; not everyone expresses their emotions in the same way. It isn’t nice feeling that nobody cares, so stop focusing on that and assuming what other people feel when you don’t actually know. Change your focus to something that makes you feel better instead.

What to Think Instead

Instead of assuming that no one cares about you, remind yourself that there are people in your life who do, in fact, care very much. Do your best to cultivate those relationships and accept the love others are willing to give in order to combat your negative thoughts. 

8. I Am Not Smart Enough

This is a very general statement, yet many people tend to say it often and then feel bad about themselves afterwards. What are you not smart at specifically? I bet that if I asked you to identify some areas that you are smart in, you could if you really tried.

Not everybody is clever and perfect in every area, and this is what makes us all unique. If you feel that you are lacking in a certain area of knowledge, instead of producing negative thoughts, make time to study and learn whatever it is that you want so that you don’t feel this way any more.

What to Think Instead

Instead of believing that you’re not intelligent, remind yourself that you are smart in a unique way and that you are capable of improving your knowledge in any area you choose. Lifelong learning can be a goal you constantly work toward.

9. If I Don’t Do Well, I’m a Failure

Holding high expectations for yourself and having conditions attached to your self worth on your performance isn’t fair. You need to take chances in life if you want to get different results. Don’t be scared of failing; the real failure lies in never having tried.

What to Think Instead

When facing a challenging situation or possible risk, tell yourself, “I am going to try; I am not scared of failing; that is not what is important.” Even if you “fail,” you will learn something about the world and yourself, and as long as that’s the case, nothing is ever a true failure. 

10. Bad Things Will Happen

Thinking negatively in general is thinking that whatever happens, it is most likely going to be the worst case scenario. What would it be like if you imagined the best case scenario instead? Our positive and negative thoughts are very powerful, and it’s common to use visualization as a technique to imagine the best case scenario.

Whether you imagine the worst or the best case scenario, you are influencing your results. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen and rather on what you want to happen.

What to Think Instead

Instead of thinking that bad things will happen when you try something, try thinking that the best will happen. This way, you’ll aim high, and even if you fall a little short, you’ll still get farther than you were before. 

Final Thoughts

We all have negative thoughts from time to time. However, when the majority of your thoughts are negative, you are undermining your happiness at the end of the day. Our thoughts directly affect how we feel and, therefore, what we do in life.

If you’re feeling sad and are overwhelmed with negative thoughts, you can consider contacting a mental health professional to give your mental health a boost and get you back on track toward positivity.

Don’t limit yourself or what is possible for you. Master your thoughts and change your results. 

More on How to Stop Negative Thoughts

• How to Deal With Negative Thoughts (the Healthy Way)
• 7 Powerful Ways to Stop Negative Thinking
• How To Stop Negative Thoughts from Killing Your Confidence

Featured photo credit: arash payam via unsplash.com

Have you ever stopped to analyze your words to express positive vs. negative emotions?

It may seem that words are just words, but they show positive vs. negative emotions.

Words are on our lips one second and evaporating the next, vanishing as quickly as they came.

Words are powerful!

Relating to positive vs. negative emotions,→Do you dwell on the bad or focus on the good?

Analyzing positive vs. negative emotions is crucial for your communication.

Perhaps you’ve heard the myth that Eskimos have 50 different words for snow.

Anthropologist Franz Boas is often credited for postulating this theory.

Although, in reality, he moderately suggested that the Inuit and Yupik languages contain a few more words for snow than other languages, and his theory later snowballed (no pun intended) out of control, becoming a vast exaggeration.

While a study performed in 2010 partially credited this theory, we now know that the number is nowhere near 50.

Either way, this fact points to an exciting reality: our view of the world shapes our language and vice versa

As a society, we develop a vocabulary for concepts most relevant to us and our lifestyle and, in turn, the words we use to tint our view of reality. The linguistic relativity hypothesis or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis refers to this behavior.

So, what do our positive and negative feelings words reflect about us? About our personalities? About our culture as a whole?

What’s in a name?

How can we possibly bottle something as abstract as emotion into a word? How can we extract its essence and condense it into a single name?

And, considering the full range of emotions we experience daily, how can we quantify the words we use to express positive and negative feelings?

So many words, so little time. Nonetheless, researchers have taken on the daunting task of compiling a list of emotions and categorizing them.

Different worldwide human emotions

Tiffany Watt Smith, for instance, listed 154 mixed universal human feelings.

It is interesting to note that some of the emotions on the list retain their names in their original languages.

For example, “dépaysement,” which refers to the feeling of being away from home, both good and bad, is expressed in original French. We may be tempted to think that its meaning is similar to that of “homesickness,” used in English, but it is uniquely distinct.

Anyone who speaks more than one language can attest that sometimes there is no accurate equivalent word for a particular emotion in another language, which lends some validity to the linguistic relativity hypothesis.

Each society’s unique experience conditions language and positive vs. negative emotions

Categorizing emotions

But a mere list of emotions seems to fall short when we consider that not all feelings feel as strong as others.

Some emotion words seem almost synonymous, but, at a closer glance, we may find that one word has a more definite connotation than another.

To categorize emotions, the book The Hourglass of Emotions identified four different emotional dimensions with intensities that vary across a point spectrum from +3 to -3 (for example, with ecstasy coming in at +3 and ranging over to its opposite, grief, at -3).

Other researchers have devised a similar system, identifying six emotional axes of opposite emotions that vary in intensity. Still, it is challenging to quantify feelings.

Positive vs. negative emotions

So, the elusive question remains: how many words do we have for positive vs. negative emotions?

How often do we use each?

One 2012 study published in EPJ Data Science analyzed the frequency of positive vs. negative word usage in English, Spanish, and German and found that words with positive emotional content are used more frequently.

This conclusion validates the Pollyanna hypothesis, which suggests a human tendency to focus on the positive, at least at a subconscious level.

At a conscious level, the theory postulates that our minds tend to dwell on the negative and, in a way, this study also supported that side of the hypothesis, demonstrating that negative emotion words contain more information than positive emotion words; that is, they’re more intense and descriptive.

This assumption makes sense, considering how strongly we seem to feel negative emotions.

However, in subtle ways, as demonstrated through the frequency of word usage, we are natural optimists, although it might not always feel like it.

How can positive word usage affect our psychology?

They often say that our thoughts change our behavior, but researcher Amy Cuddy has demonstrated that the reverse is also true: our behavior changes our thoughts.

If we adopt body language that reflects confidence, for example, our body chemistry changes in response and emotionally, we feel more confident.

Applying this principle to word usage, we can conclude that making an effort to incorporate more positive feeling words into our daily vocabulary will make us feel happier and more optimistic overall.

Try this:

1. Over a month:

• Take a few minutes every day to journal.
• Write a stream of consciousness style: write down everything that comes to mind.
• Do it, even if you jump from one idea to another.
• Write it down even if what you’re saying makes little sense or feels empty.
• Just get it down on paper without any filters: don’t overthink it.

2. At the end of the month:

• Read over your writing.
• Circle every positive emotion word you can find in green and every negative emotion word in red.
• Step back and scan your writing:
• Which color prevails?
• How does your language reflect on your outlook on life?
• Are you an optimist or a pessimist? 

Sometimes we speak without thinking. We criticize ourselves more than we should and dwell on our negative feelings without realizing the impact our words have on our psychology.

Seeing it on paper can help you evaluate any negative thought patterns you may have.

Be aware of the vocabulary you use for positive vs. negative emotions

Once you are aware of what kind of vocabulary you are using, you can take steps to make changes in your thinking patterns.

Continue to journal if you find value in that and see how often you can catch yourself using negative emotion words.

Write down your negative feelings and express them with their full intensity. Let them live on the page. Then let them go. See if you can find the silver lining in your situation.

Replace negative words with positive ones, interpreting your situation as a learning experience.

It may seem complicated, but the good news is that research demonstrates that we are natural optimists at heart. It’s in our nature. All we have to do is tap into that.

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Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive thinking. It seems that with most people, positive thinking requires some effort, whereas, negative thinking comes easily, and often uninvited.

This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in.

If you have been brought up in a happy and positive environment, there is more probability that it will be easier for you to think positively. However, If you have been brought up under poor or difficult situations, you will more probably be inclined to negative thinking.

We view the world through our predominant mental attitude. If our thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if they are negative, our life and circumstances would probably mirror these negative thoughts.

If you believe that you are going to fail, you might unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to succeed.

If you are too shy of meeting new people, or avoid having close relationships, you will do everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and nobody loves you.

Instead of becoming more positive and overcoming your fears, you think how difficult it is succeed or to connect with people, and you expect to be failure or stay lonely.

The Power of Negative Thinking In Action

• Do you often think about difficulties, failure and disasters?
• Do you keep thinking about the negative news you see and hear on TV or read about in the newspapers?
• Do you see yourself stuck and unable to improve your life or your health?
• Do you frequently think that you do not deserve happiness or money, or that it is too difficult to get them?

If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such ways, as to repel people and opportunities.

Often, the mind does not judge or examine thoughts and opinions before accepting them. If what it hears, sees and reads is always negative, it accepts negativity as the standard mindset.

The media constantly bombards the mind with a lot of information about disasters, catastrophes, wars and other unhappy events. This information sinks into your subconscious mind, and then, manifests as your habitual manner of thinking.

It is okay to watch and hear the news, because you need to know what is happening in the world. However, be careful not to overdo that. Be craeful not to let what you hear and see on the news affect you too much.

If you occupy the mind with depressing and pessimistic thoughts you radiate negative energy into the surrounding world, and therefore, create and recreate more negativity, failure and disasters.

The mind is neutral energy. The way you think determines whether the results are positive and beneficial, or negative and harmful. It is the same energy acting in different ways.

The good news is that persistent inner work can change habits of thinking. You must be willing to put energy and time to pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental attitude. The power of negative thinking is quite strong, but with some effort on your part you can overcome it.

Simple Tips to Overcome Negative Thinking

Here are a few tips to help you avoid negative thinking:

1. Every time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, replace it with a positive one.
2. If you catch yourself visualizing failure, immediately visualize success instead.
3. If you hear yourself using negative words in your conversation, switch to positive words.
4. Instead of saying, “I cannot”, say, “I can”. Most of the time you can, but choose to say “cannot”, due to fear, laziness or lack of self esteem.
5. Do you repeat negative words and phrases in your mind? Change them to positive ones. Yes, this requires you to be more alert, and to put forth some effort. You want to change negative thinking into positive thinking, don’t you?
6. Allow more positive attitude into your life. Have more faith in yourself and expect positive results. Affirmations and visualization can take you a long way in this direction.
7. Decide that from today, from this very moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind you, and starting on the way toward positive thinking and behavior.

Negative thinking has a great affect on everyone’s life. It leads to failure, unhappiness and lack of satisfaction, to worries and to fears. However, there is no reason to let it to affect your life. You can set yourself free from it by following the tips suggested here.

The power of negative thinking is a mighty power that affects everyone. You need to be aware of it and stop it whenever you find yourself let it infiltrates into your mind and into your thoughts.

It is a habit of the mind, and often it is a strong habit. However, you can get rid of it, through positive thinking and taking positive action.

Negative Thinking Quotes

“For many, negative thinking is a habit which, over time, becomes an addiction.”
– Peter McWilliams

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”
– Peace Pilgrim

“There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”
– W. Clement Stone

Positive Thinking Quotes

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
– Oprah Winfrey

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
– Willie Nelson

“Positive thinking can be contagious. Being surrounded by winners helps you develop into a winner.”
– Arnold Schwarzenegger

More positive thinking quotes.

Image source – DepositPhotos

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Are you guilty of spreading negativity and want to become a more positive person? Or maybe you have someone negative in your life who needs a little push to see the good? In any case, here are 66 beautiful positive quotes for negative thinkers to give some food for thought and inspire!

There is always a balance in nature: every atom that forms us consists of the exact same amount of protons (the positive force) and electrons (the negative force). Every negative situation has a positive side or outcome, even if it’s not always obvious.

Think about it! We wouldn’t appreciate the good without the bad, and the taste of success won’t be so satisfying without the possibility of failure!

Our life is not black and white, it’s a multicolor zebra! Nothing is 100% positive or negative and there is the opposite for everything. You will always find negativity in a happy situation if you look for it, as well as you’ll always see the positive side in seemingly bad circumstances if you make the effort.

This list of positive quotes is specifically curated for negative thinkers to give some perspective and inspire you to look for the good!

What is the difference between negative and positive thinking?

The difference between positive and negative thinking is the side of things you choose to focus on. When a negative thinker gets depressed after a failure, reliving the pain and shame over and over, a positive thinker learns the lesson and looks for ways to improve.

When seeing someone’s success, a positive person will show support, admire, and get inspired by it. A negative person, on the other hand, will look for flaws and weaknesses and focus on those. It works exactly the same with your own journey: to be more positive, you need to learn to accept the negative but focus on the good.

Quotes on the power of negative thinking

These quotes on negative thoughts are showing how damaging can negativity be for your life, and why you should avoid thinking negative thoughts at all costs. Switch to good thoughts and spread positive vibes instead!

1. If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought. – Peace Pilgrim

2. Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it. – Groucho Marx

3. You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind. – Joyce Meyer

4. Hate. It has caused a lot of problems in this world but has not solved one yet. – Maya Angelou

5. Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you’re doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you. – Joel Osteen

6. For many, negative thinking is a habit which, over time, becomes an addiction… – Peter McWilliams

7. If your thoughts are negative, you’ll probably attract negative events into your life. You will see the bad, not the good. The reverse is also true in that thoughts of creating a positive life find their origin in a positive mind.

Byron Pulsifer

8. Before you can inspire your players to win, you have to show them how not to lose. – Bob Knight

9. The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking. – Robert H Schuller

10. You have your five senses to create and express yourself for a happy life. Why let mere thoughts alone overpower all of them? – Alden Tan

11. A negative mind will never give you a positive life. – Ziad K. Abdelnour

You May Also Like: 33 Quotes For Growth Mindset That Inspire You To Work Harder

Negative thinking person quotes

12. The worst person to be around is someone who complains about everything and appreciates nothing.

13. You can never win an argument with a negative person. They only hear what suits them and listen only to respond. – Michael P. Watson

14. We don’t appreciate negative vibes around here. Move along!

15. If you believe that the world is conspiring against you, it will just do that. – Bangambiki Habyarimana

16. Negative thinking will always lead to failure and nervous prostration; but positive faith, positive thinking, will lead you towards happy, healthy, and abundant living. – Albert E Cliffe

17. Don’t let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.

Robert Tew

18. Start thinking positively. You will notice a difference. Instead of “I think I’m a loser,” try “I definitely am a loser.” Stop being wishy-washy about things! How much more of a loser can you be if you don’t even know you are one? Either you are a loser or you are not. Which is it, stupid? – Ellen DeGeneres

19. Whatever you do, good or bad, people will always have something negative to say. – W.H. Auden

20. Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit, and the choice is yours. – Tom Hopkins

21. Don’t let people pull you into their storm. Pull them into your peace. – Kimberly Jones

22. The less you respond to negative people the more peaceful your life will become.

You May Also Like: 90 Negative People Quotes And Sayings To Stay Far Away

One simple hack to get rid of a negative thought

This video from an educated therapist will teach you a simple technique to let go of the negative thoughts, besides reading inspirational quotes! It’s not a one-time magical cure but it’s a helpful trick to turn your thoughts around when you catch yourself being too negative. Definitely try it next time you get overwhelmed with unwanted thinking directions!

Positive vs negative thinking quotes

23. Positive anything is better than negative nothing. – Elbert Hubbard

24. Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses. – Alphonse Karr

25. Positive thinkers think and talk continually about solutions, and negative thinkers continually talk and think about problems. Keep your mind solution-focused rather than problem-focused. – Brian Tracy

26. There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative. – W. Clement Stone

27. A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Winston Churchill

28. Always be positive, look at the positive side of any circumstance you face. You only have two options. If you don’t fill your mind with positive thoughts, it will be filled with negative thoughts instead. – Abder-Rahman Ali

29. Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. – Zig Ziglar

30. Here is a universal law: that when it comes to negative and positive, you will always thrive more powerfully in the positive if you have first been immersed in, and have heroically overcome, the polar opposite negative of that thing. To abide in the positive existence of something, without having known and overcome it’s polar opposite— that is to be only a frame of the real structure. Easily toppled down and taken apart. True power is in the hands of the one who thrives in the positive, after having known and conquered the negative. Because when the demons come along, she will say to those demons: “I know you, I have owned you, but now you bow down to me.” – C. JoyBell C.

31. Seeing the mud around a lotus is pessimism, seeing a lotus in the mud is optimism.

Amit Kalantri

32. Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. – Willie Nelson

33. Positive thinking and negative thinking cannot operate at the same level in your mind, one needs to be the master and the one you feed it more will rule over the other. – Oscar Bimpong

Inspirational quotes about negativity

These next few negative thoughts quotes are deep and inspiring, make sure to save your favorite ones for later inspiration!

34. The key to happiness – or that even more desired thing, calmness – lies not in always thinking happy thoughts. No. That is impossible. No mind on earth with any kind of intelligence could spend a lifetime enjoying only happy thoughts. They key is in accepting your thoughts, all of them, even the bad ones. Accept thoughts, but don’t become them. Understand, for instance, that having a sad thought, even having a continual succession of sad thoughts, is not the same as being a sad person. – Matt Haig

35. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you are right.

Henry Ford

36. Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come. – Robert H. Schuller

37. Walk away from anything that gives you bad vibes.

38. Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create. – Roy T. Bennet.

39. Just as negative beliefs at some point entered your subconscious mind, and began to subtly shape your lives, new, positive beliefs can also be “planted” there: beliefs that will gradually begin to improve your behavior, your thinking, the way you feel, and thus, your life. – David Bolton

40. That’s my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck’s back. If it’s not positive, I didn’t hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy. – George Foreman

41. Your mind can destroy your life! Mind your mind; think well! Detoxify your thought and be free! – Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

42. You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down. – Charlie Chaplin

43. Your mind is a ship; it can sail across the universe as long as you don’t allow negative thoughts to sink it. – Matshona Dhliwayo

44. All we are is the result of all we have thought. – Buddha

Negative quotes about life

45. It only takes one negative comment to kill a dream.

46. Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise. – Kobe Bryant

47. Our spirit requires freedom in every area of our lives. The barriers that stop our soul from free expression are doubt, guilt, resentment, and thoughts of lack or limitation. – Hina Hashmi

48. Always think extra hard before crossing over to a bad side, if you were weak enough to cross over, you may not be strong enough to cross back!” – Victoria Addino

49. A bad day is just a day where you have been thinking more negative thoughts than positive ones.

50. Most of us are unaware of the words we use on a regular basis. We weren’t taught that the words we regularly use to describe our experiences and conditions in life impact and influence our emotional states. – Maddy Malhotra

51. Worry is negative goal setting.

Brian Tracy

52. Negative thoughts are the nails that build a prison of failure. – Jon Gordon

53. If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience. – Swami Vivekananda

54. Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.

55. There is too much negativity in the world. Do your best to make sure you aren’t contributing to it. – Germany Kent

We had a ton of quotes on negative thoughts above, now let’s see a few positive ones, shall we?

56. When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It’s all a matter of perspective. – Harvey Mackay

57. Only allow yourself to think negative thoughts and/or complain about anything for three minutes, three times a day. – Karen Salmansohn

58. I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened. – Mark Twain

59. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war but the positive affirmation of peace. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

60. Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions. – Will Smith

61. It is not always possible to do away with negative thinking, but with persistence and practice, one can gain mastery over them so that they do not take the upper hand. – Stephen Richards

62. The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker

63. If you think the world is full of darkness, let us see your light. If you think the world is full of wickedness, let us see your goodness. If you think people are acting wrongly, let us see your right action. If you think people don’t know, let us see what you know. If you think the world is full of uncaring people let us see how you care about people. If you think life is not being fair to you, let us see how you can be fair to life. If you think people are proud, let us see your humility. We can easily find fault and we can easily see what is wrong but a positive attitude backed by a right action in a true direction is all we need to survive in peace and harmony in the arena of life.

Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

64. People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom? – Thich Nhat Hanh

65. If you are positive, you’ll see opportunities instead of obstacles. – Widad Akrawi

66. I will no longer allow the negative things in my life to spoil all of the good things I have. I choose to be happy!

Final thoughts on using positive quotes for negative thinkers

This was my list of 66 positive inspirational quotes to help negative thinkers rethink the way they see the world. Of course, this kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. Choose one quote from this collection and make it your motto for the day. Pay attention to the little good things that happen today and write down at least three of them before you go to bed. Come back here for another inspiring quote tomorrow and repeat the process! Over time, you’ll learn to notice more of the good and your brain will get more focused on positive thoughts.

Nobody wants to be around negative people! Don’t be that person who is always bitter or whining and don’t surround yourself with such people. By keeping a positive attitude and looking for the good in every situation, you’ll have a more positive life with as little negative thinking as possible!

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