Cognitive Distortion-Part 2

G'day....Welcome to part 2....did you get anything out of Part 1? I would love to hear about your experience after reading!

There is plenty of evidence that shows how our thoughts can create

stress in our lives; stress than can be avoided or diminished if

we learn how to control them. Thus the term Cognitive Restructuring

comes to mind. But what does this have to do with the Law of

Attraction?

The Law of Attraction is commonly linked to new age thoughts;

however, it is based on the premise that states "what we think

about the most, we become."

Therefore, if we want to attract positive outcomes, we must learn

to control our thoughts. This is how cognitive restructuring and

the Law of Attraction are linked. Does it make sense?

The internal dialogue that goes on inside our heads is constantly

interpreting, making assumptions, explaining, judging and prejudging

every situation we encounter daily and most of this goes on

unconsciously.

The way we think can help or hinder us, we can make things seem

good or bad, better or worse, black or white, threatening or

non-threatening, dangerous or safe, difficult or easy, etc. etc...

you get the idea.

Some of us tend to see common events in a more positive light,

while others tend to view things in a negative way. This thought

pattern creates blockages, obstacles and disadvantages in their

life. So what is a person to do to change these negative habitual

thought patterns?

Cognitive restructuring is a process of recognizing these patterns.

Once they are out in the open, we can challenge and change them

from cognitive distortions to empowering thought patterns. This

process is called cognitive behavioral therapy, and trained

therapists can help you with that.

However, with a commitment to change and the right information,

you can achieve great results without the need of a therapist. It

all starts with the right attitude and making a conscious effort

to implement positive self talk.

Here are a few tips that will help you restructure your thoughts

so you can activate the Law of Attraction with ease:

1. Become Aware.

Make a conscious effort to become the observer of your internal

dialogue. It may be difficult at first but with a little practice

it can be accomplished. Commit for a day, then for two, and then a

week until it becomes a habit.

2. Keep a Diary.

Jot down your feelings and experiences every day for a week. At the

end of the 7 days, read what you wrote and examine your inner

dialogue. Do you notice a negative slant in any of your comments?

It is very possible that the event that caused you to write what

you did may not look as terrible or huge anymore. Armed with your

comments on paper you'll be able to examine your inner dialogue.

3. "Stop-Cancel" Technique

The next step would be to bring the practice live by canceling or

stopping your self talk right when it happens. For example, if you

are in a meeting and a coworker that you dislike makes a comment,

you may find yourself thinking something like "here we go again,

the "know it all" is talking again."

Consciously cancel the thought by saying to yourself "cancel, cancel"

or "stop" and switch the thought to a more positive one. Remember

that these thought patters hurt you, not your coworker. If you are

having negative thoughts when you are alone, you should say the words

"stop" or "cancel" aloud for a more powerful effect and immediately

substitute the thought for a more positive one.

4. Soften Your Words

Words are very powerful and they affect us when we hear them, when

we see them and when we speak them. Avoid using words like "hate",

"anger" or "pain". Substitute them for milder words with similar

meaning. For instance, instead of saying "I hate him", say "I don't

like him", and instead of "I have this horrible pain in my leg" say

something like "The discomfort in my leg is strong."

5. Open Your Mind to Change Blocking Statements

If you ever find yourself saying something like "I just can't do

this" or "That is an impossible task", first use the "stop-cancel"

technique and then open your mind to other possibilities.

Empower yourself by thinking of possible solutions to a problem,

think of somebody that has accomplished what you're trying to, and

analyze how they did it. You may want to start with a question like

"How can I tackle this situation" to incite your mind to come up

with solutions.

You can learn to overcome your faulty thinking and negative

programming. It's just a matter of willingness, commitment,

practice and patience.

Yes, it can take time but the rewards are enormous: Cognitive

Restructuring will help you activate the Law of Attraction with

ease.

 I don't now about you, but I got a lot out of these last two posts, I found that using the 'stop/cancel' teqhnique works wondrs for me!