The power of Optimism

Optimism: Whether you think you can or can’t you are right!

Henry Ford

I love this quote on optimism as it can so easily get us into action. Just like turning on a tap.

Isn’t that amazing! how the power of our thoughts can make such a dramatic change within us. From not being able to do something to rolling up our sleeves and getting on with it.

On of my favourite type of thought is an expectation thought. Expectation thoughts are about what we think will happen in a particular endeavour or situation or action. Just like Henry Ford said: “If you think you can or can’t you are right”. Expecting the worse leads to a decrease in motivation, expecting the best leads to opportunities and an increase in motivation.

Tene Edwards quote describes it well “If you approach the mountain in fear, it will look bigger than it is”

The quote is able to not only express the problem but it also implies the solution. Imagine approaching the mountain with optimism and a spring in your step. I’m sure you will have a different experience to the one described by Tene.

Optimism is a powerful ally, whether it is in business, in your personal life or in sport.

Here’s a short clip from Warren Gatland (Rugby coach) talking about optimism. Click HERE

How do you use optimism to get over the barriers that sometimes come your way

The answer to the above question comes with the use of our imagination. Our imagination is a powerful tool and is what distinguishes us from other animals. And since the mind can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality we can use our imagination to create an alternative more beneficial reality.

Try this for yourself to demonstrate how imagination can have a real impact on us. Do this using your imagination:

• Stretch out your non dominant arm in front of you at shoulder height, palm up.
• Imagine that you have a ripe, juicy lemon in your up turned hand. Feel its weight and succulence.
• Now in your dominant hand take a knife and slice the lemon in half taking care not to cut your hand.
• Put the imaginary knife down somewhere safe and bring half the lemon to your mouth. Take time smelling the fresh, sharp smell of the lemon.
• When you are ready imagine biting into the lemon and notice what you notice!

Now some of you would have flinched even at the idea of doing that, others would have screwed up their faces as they tasted the bitterness of the lemon others would even have tasted bits of the lemon flesh in their mouths.

Translating into real life

When we translate this principle of the mind perceiving imagination and reality as the same, we can see how viewing things optimistically can be so powerful. When we view our future optimistically it has an affect on our bodies, relaxing us, getting us motivated and engages us with that future.

The additional benefit is when we are thinking optimistically any pessimistic thoughts disappear. This is because our attention can not be in two places at the same time.

So flip your focus around and “Focus on what you want rather than what you don’t want” and switch your mind to success!

To help yourself to remember to be optimistic put a sign somewhere, on the front door, the fridge, the computer just to act as a trigger. A friend of mine put the sign, in the main picture, above her front door.

Hypnotherapy and Positive thinking

Solution Focused hypnotherapy fully embraces the optimistic approach in it’s 3Ps strategy of POSTIVE ACTION, POSITIVE INTERACTION and POSTIVE THOUGHT.

When we do the 3Ps we generate the well being neurotransmitter serotonin. Which makes us have a sense of wellbeing, which relaxes us, raises motivation, makes us braver and happier.

And Finally

So if you want to find out more about mindset and how ACT Hypnotherapy Swindon can help you with anxiety, depression, OCD etc., or just want to find out more about how we work, contact us for a FREE, no obligation initial consultation.

During the consultation you will learn how the brain works, how we create anxiety, depression etc. But more importantly what we can do about them and how we can build a more confident and resilient mindset. Remember you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Accreditation:

National Council of Hypnotherapy (NCH), Association of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH), Association of Neuro-linguistic Programmers (ANLP)