Tricking the Mind to Create Positive Thought Patterns
I am prone to bouts of depression, or shall I say… I have been in a funk many times in the past.
At one point in my life, I was young and living alone in an apartment. It was one of those things where I got exactly what I wanted but for some reason I wasn’t happy about it.
I used to think that if I just got X, Y, and Z or if this or that happened, everything would be perfect. Now I know better that that is a set up for failure.
On one particularly lonely evening where I just felt generally down in the dumps, I picked up the phone and called my older sister.
Unlike myself, she was in her prime at that moment. She was living on a beautiful lot in Northern California with her dog, managing a department at Whole Foods, and working in her garden daily. She was genuinely happy and thriving.
I told her about my funk and explained that there was seemingly no reason behind it and I prepared myself for her stellar advice. Because, well, her advice is always stellar.
This is what she told me and I will never forget:
When you have a negative thought, catch yourself and think…