Have you ever tried not to think of something, only to have that something dominate your thoughts? There's a famous experiment where researchers told the subject to try not to think of a white bear and then had them blurt out whatever came into their mind over the next five minutes.
What dominated their thoughts? You got it. White bears.
Here's an article that suggests it's the same with our negative thoughts. Trying not to think those thoughts will only make them breed like bunnies.
The trick, according to the article, isn't suppression, it's redirection...
And the way to direct your thinking is by asking yourself a question. A question gets your mind going in a new direction without suppressing what you’re already thinking. Ask yourself a question.
...The idea is to direct your mind by asking questions that put your attention on practical things, on accomplishment, on the future. If you find yourself worrying, for example, ask yourself something like this: “How can I make myself stronger and better able to deal with this?” Or “Can I get busy right now working on my goal — so busy I forget all about my worries? And if not, is there some planning I can do now that will save me time later?” Or even simply “What is my goal?”
When you find yourself thinking negatively about something “bad” that happened, ask yourself “What’s good about this?” Or “How can I turn this to my advantage?” Or “What assumption have I made that I can argue with?” Ask a good question.
When you decide on a question to ask yourself, ask the question and keep asking. Ponder it. Wonder about it. Let it run through your mind whenever your mind isn’t otherwise engaged. It will turn the tide of your thoughts and bring you into a new state of mind because you’re thinking positively positively.
Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide
Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst TM
Congratulations on the new focus - or expansion of focus :-) - and the new blog, Curt! I look forward to participating in the MAP approach, and can definitely sync with the concept of a wider base of internal / external, positive, forward-moving Meaning.
Posted by: Scott | October 01, 2007 at 07:00 AM
Congratulations on the new blog, Curt.
Here's an article that discusses the tip you gave above—and four others—for self-leadership:
http://www.thecompletelawyer.com/volume3/issue3/article.php?ppaid=2083
Posted by: StephanieWestAllen | October 01, 2007 at 07:11 AM
Hey Scott! Great to have you on board. :-)
Excellent article, Stephanie. Thanks for the heads up on it.
Posted by: Curt Rosengren | October 01, 2007 at 10:53 AM