I am a firm believer that your life flows in the direction of your thoughts. What we think shapes our beliefs, our emotions, our behaviors, and our actions. Our thoughts can be negative or positive. Strangely, positive thoughts seem to be overtaken by negative thoughts, and most people aren't even aware that what they are thinking is negative. That is how our brain works; it is always thinking something whether we are aware of it or not.
So, since you should want to think positive thoughts, here are five common thoughts that you need to stop thinking so you can have your best life:
Stop thinking that you are always right.
Almost every leader knows that if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. You are not always going to be right. Sometimes you are going to be flat wrong. That is okay. You are human. Let other people have their opinion and state their viewpoint, and you can have your opinion and state your viewpoint. It's all okay. We live in a world of many differences and very few similarities.
Stop thinking you need another person to make you happy or whole.
The truth is, two halves never make a whole when it comes to relationships. That might be true in math, but never true in life. If you are not a happy, whole person already, having a special someone in your life will not make you happy or whole either. In fact, it might make you an unhappy mess. You are responsible for your own happiness and wholeness. Don't dump that responsibility on someone else. No one can make you happy or whole, but you.
Stop thinking that your past determines your future.
I think it was Buddha who said "what you think, you become." Well, that is true in a sense. Just because you grew up poor or you didn't always make the best decisions, does not mean your whole life has to reflect that. Just because you failed at 21 does not mean you have to keep on failing until you're 61. Your past does not determine your future; your past opens up doors for you to create a better future.
Stop thinking other people are responsible for you and your life.
Just because you don't like your life or your present situation doesn't mean that you can't make quality decisions to change it. You don't have a right to blame other people for your life. Stop thinking like a victim. A cavalry isn't coming to rescue you. You are ultimately and completely responsible for yourself, your life, your attitude, your actions, your decisions and your future.
Stop thinking about what other people think about you.
What does it matter if someone is judging you? Why is that a concern of yours? The truth is that no one is judging you half as much as you are judging yourself. Most people are too consumed with themselves and their situation to be concerned with you. So, be yourself. Stop worrying about what other people think. Stop trying to impress other people. And if someone is judging you, that is their problem, let them deal with it.