Most people don’t like negative energy, but many of them also hold the false belief that putting up some sort of “anti-bad-vibe” shield will keep them protected from negative things, people and places.
In all reality, you have to look within yourself to make sure you’ve not got a constant source of negativity in your life.
Bear in mind, you shouldn’t completely scorn or be afraid of negativity, as you can learn a lot from it sometimes. But if its presence in your life is overwhelming, you’re reducing your chances of living a truly happy life.
One common negativity obstacle between you and your happiness is toxic thoughts and beliefs, which can be so ingrained over time that they become habits you’re not even consciously aware of. So, it’s time to break through your bad and learned habits and start on a path to a happier existence.
Check out the seven common toxic thoughts below that you need to remove in order to have the life you’ve been dreaming of.
1. Deciding You’re The Victim
It’s simply easier to decide the world is against you than to admit you are the one who needs to change. Stop blaming other people and things for your feelings of dissatisfaction with your own life, whether it is about whom you are or where you’re at in life.
If you think that circumstances out of your control must change for you to succeed, you’ll never get anywhere. At the end of the day, it’s you and only you who is responsible for your own destiny.
2. Thinking Others Are Better Than You
When you believe that you can never be as fulfilled, happy or successful as someone else because they have a better style, more attractive looks, more money or some other advantage, you’re essentially putting unnecessary obstacles in your own path.
Look around and start appreciating what you do have. The more you’re able to truly appreciate all the good in your life, the faster the illusion that other people are better will disappear. This will free you from envy and other negative lines of thought that are getting in the way of your best self.
3. Setting Expectations Too High
Sometimes, your friends, partners or family members will fail to meet your expectations, and when they do, you’ll be disappointed and maybe even sad. You will be justified in that line of thinking on occasion, but other times, you may have simply set the bar too high or too specifically.
Doing that can cause you to miss out on all the things your loved ones do especially for you because you’re too busy being upset about some specific expectation you had.
For example, say you expected a big surprise party from a close friend and they didn’t deliver, causing you to be upset. But this particular friend always goes out of their way to find you an amazing gift, something you don’t really appreciate in the haze of self-induced disappointment.
Start setting your expectations lower, and you’ll find you’ll be less disappointed and more able to see all the blessings you do have.
4. Always Having To Be Right
There’s no good reason for trying to convince another person that you’re right all the time. It’s just a waste of energy that can impede your growth as a person. If you have to be correct all the time, you won’t be able to honestly accept that mistakes happen. And when you can’t admit to and accept mistakes, you can’t learn from them.
This type of thinking can also make you close-minded, as you won’t be able to open your mind up to different points of view and create deeper connections with a variety of people.
Let go of your need to always be correct. When you make a mistake, own up to it and learn from it. Be open to the opinions and ideas of others, and be willing to change your mind if you decide you were wrong in the first place. Not only will this improve your relationships with others, but it will also broaden your horizons and take some stress out of your life.
5. Harboring Fear Of The Future
Have you ever had an amazing week or month and then suddenly you started to wonder when all the happiness will end? You start looking for all the things that could go wrong, with your imagination running wild – your partner could be cheating on you, you may lose your job or any number of awful things could happen.
This toxic way of thinking will cost you the ability to live in the present and fully enjoy the happiness you’re currently flooded with.
When things are going just right, celebrate it. Don’t look for things that could go wrong, playing terrible scenarios out in your head that just fill you with dread. You’re not a psychic, so there’s really no way of knowing anyway. All you are doing is missing your own happiness and upsetting yourself for no real reason.
6. Staying In The Past
Your past is part of you, but it doesn’t define the rest of your life. Living with regret over the things you’ve done in the past will not do anything but keep you from happiness in the present. You can’t change what you’ve done before, but you can change how you react to past decisions going forward.
Let your regrets go and live firmly in the present. Acknowledging what you’ve done wrong is how you learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat the same ones, but it shouldn’t consume your life. Your past should act as a sort of guide, not as your current playbook.
7. Worrying About What People Think Of You
Just about everyone fears expressing individuality, trying new things and making mistakes at them and just about anything else that puts you in the hot seat. If you fail, you worry that people will reject or laugh at you.
You can’t let the worry of other people judging you for what you do to overtake you, as you won’t be able to prosper. We all had to learn to walk, and while doing so, we
Life is just too short to waste time worrying about how other people will react to an action or decision that you make to move toward happiness. Do what is right for you, and don’t let your thoughts on others get in your way.
Ultimately, to live a happier life, you must be ready to lose some of your negative thoughts and relish your positive ones. While changing how you think may take some time and dedication, the results are definitely worth it!
