How to Turn Negative Thoughts Into Positive Action

How to Turn Negative Thoughts Into Positive Action

 "Worrying does not empty today of its troubles, it empties tomorrow of its strength." Mary Engelbreit

The Secret Decoded¹

Do you ever wake up with doubts, anxiety or insecurities? I do. It's those little whispers in my brain causing my heart to race and my stomach to flutter until I pause to identify 'what's up'.

Over the years I've learned the secret to befriending these physical messages. I've developed a more positive interpretation² of the role my brain plays in producing the unsettling messages, and this helps me transition faster from reacting fearfully to taking calm, conscious action. So what's the secret? It's simple. I know my brain cares about me.

A Womb with a View

Because my brain cares, I think of it as my womb with a view--a warm, caring place from which I can safely look out into the world around me and begin living each day. My womb with a view comes with womb service. The little whispers causing those anxious feelings are just friendly, pre-scheduled wake up calls.

Although the messages from within are initially⁴ unnerving, they become my call to action. I now embrace the friendly service call to 'wake up!' and make a conscious choice to do something, or to do nothing and let it be. By converting my anxiety into womb service, I have re-framed those morning whispers from 'start-your-day-anxious and in avoidance' to 'start-your-day-calm-and-conscious'.

Everything Is (Secretly) Okay!

My lifelong friend, Karen, is a very successful CEO Coach who has lived life fully³ engaged. She is amazing. She is also a worrier and full of self-doubt. During our last visit together, Karen's husband, Bill, shared an affirmation he began whispering into Karen's ear: "Karen, Everything is (Secretly) Okay!" It made me laugh!

I couldn't believe what a perfect message this was--not only for Karen, but for all of us. It made Karen laugh and let go, and it spoke⁵ to a deep truth about the foundation of worries, self-doubt and anxiety in us all.

Learn What You Do Want from What You Don't

Our worries, anxieties and fears are always about things we don't want to happen. If you can identify what you don't want to happen, you can turn it around to identify what you do want and work to make it happen.

When that secret worry begins to tie your stomach in knots, let it wake you up to what's bothering you and name what you fear. Begin by affirming 'everything is (secretly) okay!', and then ask these three questions:

What is it about the message behind my womb service I fear? 

What do I fear will happen that I don't want to happen? 

What do I want to happen?

Hello, Womb Service?

You have one new message from your brain: "Everything is (Secretly) Okay!" Wake up to the possibilities. Wake up to new beginnings.

"Worrying is using your imagination to create something you don't want." Abraham

1 decoded   

v.译（码），解（码）( decode的过去式和过去分词 )；分析及译解电子信号

参考例句：

• The control unit decoded the 18 bits. 控制器对这18位字进行了译码。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Scientists have decoded the dog genome. 科学家已经译解了狗的基因组。 来自辞典例句

2 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。