Break the power of fear

I have never heard anyone complain about too many positive and inspiring thoughts. Many people struggle with negative, fear based and depressing thoughts.

What are these thoughts doing? Why are they there?  What can I do about them?

Negative and fear-based thoughts are part of who we are as human beings, the issue about them, is when they become overwhelming and control our mental state.

When we were still hunters and gatherers that used to live in caves. Fear based thoughts kept us alive. For hundreds if not thousands of years we trained ourselves to be vigilant. We trained our minds to be on the lookout for danger. We needed to be in that constant state to survive.

Fear based thought patterns are engraved onto our DNA, it is wired into our brains.

We tend to experience negative and fear-based thoughts as a “bad thing”. To start taking control of them, we are required to reframe how we think about those thoughts.  Their purpose is to serve us, to protect us from danger and to ensure we are more vigilant. They are not “bad thoughts” but “protective servants”.

The moment you can make that internal switch in how you view those thoughts, you have conquered the first step to taking back control.

One of the best NLP & Life Coach Trainers from Action Factory will explain all the steps in this guide, but first we need to realise the risks associated with having too many negative and fear thoughts. These types of thinking patterns can have dire consequences on our health and bodily processes.  Negative thoughts impact us in a strange way. We tend to become more lethargic, less active, and more susceptible to disease when we are overwhelmed by negative thoughts.

Step 1 of taking control back is by realising these are but old mind functions that are attempting to serve us by becoming aware of possible dangers to us.

Step 2 would be to ask a simple question: “How does these thoughts intend to serve me? What could be behind them that would or could be a positive for me? “

You will find that if you are open to an answer there is always a positive intention. Directly or indirectly your mind is attempting to protect you. Find that positive intention.

Step 3 might sound strange, but it is absolutely necessary. Speak to the thoughts and thank them. Yes, say “thank you for serving me”. Focus on the positive intention and allow your thoughts to explore it deeper.

Step 4. To fully grasp this step, we are required to be aware of when negative thoughts enter our minds. Have you noticed it is usually immediately after a positive or hopeful thought?

To understand this even better let us create a picture. Imagine a cave man that has just woken up from sleep. He is now hungry. His thoughts are about having a full stomach and feeling nourished. These are positive and hope based thoughts. As he exists the cave into the wild, he needs to be vigilant to survive. These are the fear-based thoughts. They serve him by keeping him alive to be able to achieve his original goal.

All his thoughts are serving him. There is no need to be depressed about it, but we must understand, embrace and be grateful towards them.

Step 4 is pulling all the thoughts into their correct context, understanding how they serve you and realising what they wish to achieve a goal or action, that you will enjoy and be grateful for. Now, it is time for the most important step, and that is to act towards the positive outcome. Do something now.

The moment we act, our thoughts start changing, because the action stimulates our minds and bodies to start producing different chemicals and our neurons fire in new paths. One can say that when we ACT, we re-wire our minds.

The last step is to be consciously aware of the process and be positively aware that you acted. By constantly reminding the brain that you acted, the “power” of the fear-based thoughts starts to diminish, and we soon find ourselves more balanced, happier and positive.

Negative and fear-based thoughts are no more than built-in safety mechanisms. When we drive in a motor vehicle, we don’t ponder on the restriction in movement created by the safety belt. We appreciate its function and focus on the journey.

Practice approaching your negative thoughts the same way.

I trust this short guide was helpful to you. You are welcome to visit www.actionfactory.co.za for more articles, guides, and free videos.