“It is very true, that the way you think creates reality for yourself.” -Oprah

Either due to experiences in your past, what you have seen portrayed in the media or what you have heard from others around you, you will either be more positive or more negative when a new scenario is thrown your way and you have to deal with it.

It is natural to be defensive and expect the worst, but what I’d like to convince you of today is that assuming the worst, immediately jumping to a conclusion that is negative and horrendous, we are helping to create the fact. Therefore, we all need to learn how to trigger to the positive side which would have us assuming that a good outcome will occur, and if the worst happens, we can deal with it and not rain on the possibilities that have yet to occur.

Self-fulfilling prophecies occur around us each and every day.  What we search for we will eventually find, so why not search for the fantastic, amazing and utterly wonderful things in life instead of being the heavy anchor that holds us back from a life of is just waiting to be enjoyed?

First and foremost, if you aren’t already someone who immediately looks for the best, changing your approach will take time so prep your patience, but with anything that is a journey, the results will be stunning and in this case long-lasting. Here are a few simple steps to follow regularly as you begin to retrain your mind.

1. Be your best advocate, not your worst enemy. Your thoughts determine the world you live in. Take back control of your thoughts. “If you keep thinking negatively your mind subconsciously works to make what you expect happen” (more-selfesteem.com). The opposite though is also true, so why not give it a shot?

2. Be a hopeful realist. Determine the worst possible scenario, decide how you will deal with it if it should happen, and let go of the fear which will allow you to relax and approach the situation with ease and a more open mind. An important statistic to keep in mind – approximately 80% of what we worry about never materializes.

3. Perfection isn’t possible, so stop focusing on the things that aren’t working in your life. Instead, make a list of all that is going well in your life.  Focus on what you have that you appreciate and you will perpetuate this reality. (Read Anna Quindlen’s commencement speech on the benefits of letting go of perfection.)

4. Read positive quotations either online, via your Twitter stream or on a piece of paper where you have kept a running list of quotes that inspire you regularly. (I have a category titled “Inspiration” that is available for me to look at any time I need a lift – click here if you’d like to look at it.)

5. Have positive affirmations that you either have written down in your wallet or planner, or posted somewhere where you can see them to serve as reminders of the truth you need to focus on that will motivate you to remain positive and heading in the right direction.

6. Yet another reminder. Have patience with yourself. By self-correcting whenever you catch yourself jumping to a negative assumption, you will gradually train your mind to look for the positive, look for the lesson and be proactive toward creating the life you desire.

There are only six things to keep in mind, but it really isn’t a complicated process.  What is complicated is thinking the worst, making poor decisions without thinking them through and creating obstacles for ourselves. Remember anything worth having takes time, give this gift to yourself.

{Have a Twitter account and want inspiration throughout the day as well as being notified of the most recent posts on The Simply Luxurious Life? Follow me here @simplyluxurious. }