Think Positive

Think Positive and Escape that Rut

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a rut, as we say? You don’t have to share the personal gory details. I know what it feels like too. Everybody gets stuck at some point in life! It’s just something that happens.

You might say there are two paths forward. Some people choose to be stuck in a rut for years, for decades, and they have no interest in getting unstuck. Often, they are consumed by negative thoughts. Others get stuck in a rut from time to time, they make a little change in their life, and they move on. They think positive.

thinking positive is the solution to being stuck in a rut

The modern science of epigenetics shows that being stuck in life is far more than just a mental pattern of negative vs positive thoughts. Your biochemistry, which means everything inside, literally becomes stuck. It’s been programmed to do some old thing, which you are really good at, but yet it doesn’t serve it’s purpose any more. You’d like to do some new thing, but you don’t know how, because you are so good at doing that same old thing that’s not working anymore. That is, you are stuck.

A Change Will Do You Good

We all know at a deep level that the solution to being stuck is to change. Not so obviously, even a little, seemingly insignificant change can suffice. The science of epigenetics shows that your DNA and internal chemistry will start to rewire itself as you have new experiences. In layman’s terms, you just need to try something new. Express yourself in a new way. And let the science of gene expression take over. Most of your DNA is just waiting around for a new experience to happen so it can work its magic, transforming the old you into the new you.

So, think positive. You are adaptable, always changing, and capable of handling what life throws at you.

Wanna blast forward to the next stage of your life? Here’s the good news and bad news.

The good news is that you just have to get started. Take that first step. Prime the pump. As you start to do new things, your body is going to rewire, adapt, and be able to do these new things better, easier, faster.

The bad news is that we all know that first steps can be very hard to take. The even-better news, however, is that science shows that the first step is literally the hardest. You will adapt, the second step gets easier, the third step again easier, and so on. It tends to be fear of taking that first step that limits us, moreso than the first step itself.

Why Positive Thinking Works

Positive thinking works because it provides the self motivation for starting something new. You’ve probably heard a lot of times the hardest part of doing something complicated, the hardest part of changing yourself, is taking that first step. It’s true. Self motivation is important to overcome that doubt you have about trying something new. New things can be scary because you don’t quite yet know how to do them or know exactly how they are going to turn out.

Again, that first step is indeed very hard to take. And yet, what the science is telling us is that if you can commit to taking that first step and sticking with it, each step after is going to become more natural. In less time than you might imagine, it just becomes part of who you are, and you don’t even need to think about it anymore. You have now formed a new and improved habit, and it all started with the power of positive thought.

think positive when you study

The science of epigenetics says that you are what you eat, and think, and do. Your experiences shape your mind and body, and you adapt and change to become more comfortable with similar experiences in the future. If you put healthy food into your body today, you will become more apt to put healthy food into your body in the future. And if you put healthy, positive thoughts into your head today, you will become more apt to maintain positive thoughts in the future. We reap what we sow right down to the molecular level.

Learning, forming new connections in the brain, requires change. This can lead to frustration and negative thoughts. With repetition, it becomes a pattern. A bad habit or negative attitude for learning, you might say. This makes learning hard! And yet every human does it, to some extent.

4 Steps to Improve Your (School) Life

Here’s a simple exercise to form a positive habit to replace a negative habit related to learning. It only works if you get started and stick with it. You can harness the power of the science of epigenetics to change yourself simply by doing something new, consistently for a week to a month.

  • Step 1. Pick a learning topic for which you have negative thoughts (math = yuck!). Choose something mildly negative to start. Not your worst nightmare involving math + insanely evil ninjas.
  • Step 2. Make yourself have a positive thought about the topic. Just do it. Tell yourself it will be okay. It might even be fun. You will maintain a positive attitude. You will feel better afterwards. My favorite, tell yourself to stop having the negative thoughts. Eventually, as you change, the negative thoughts will get quieter and even fade away.
  • Step 3. Give that learning topic a try right after Step 2, when you are in a positive state of mind. Don’t have expectations of a miracle turnaround happening within the next 5-10 minutes. Just do it, while you are still in a positive state of mind. When you notice that negative though creep in (math = yuck), stop and go back to Step 2. Be patient with yourself. It will pay off in the long run. Can you get through just one problem or 5-10 minutes of study in a positive state of mind? That would be a HUGE success. You can totally do it!
  • Step 4. Repeat every day for 7-30 days. Anew and improved habit can be formed in about a week to a month, depending on many circumstances. But if you’re just counting down and just waiting for it to end, you will develop the decidedly bad habit of just waiting for things to end. Remember, only action, not waiting, can bring the change you desire.