Put In, Get Out

The majority of us have negative thoughts that tumble around in our minds. For me, I struggle with the constant language of, “If I am not achieving, then I am not of value.” This statement follows me around throughout my day. If someone at work notices a flaw in my reports, I begin to take it personal and allow that occurrence to validate the negative thought in my mind. For the sake of our conversation today, we will call these negative thoughts our “gum” since gum once stuck to the bottom of our shoe makes it hard to walk without getting stuck to the floor and leaving a residue on each surface we touch.

What we put in to our mind and body is what we get out. We either feed it positive thoughts and foods or we feed it negative ones. The mind is like any other organ in our body. It relies on us to provide sustenance. If we eat a healthy diet packed with fruits and veggies as well as healthy fats, we begin to feel refreshed and energized. The same goes for our minds. The more we begin to address our negative thought patterns and eat a healthy well-balanced diet our minds begin to refresh. We get to remove the gum from the bottom of our shoes and walk freely.

Let’s look at the same incident in more detail…

Event	Thoughts	Feelings
A coworker notices that there is an error in my data report at work	“Man, I am doing so awful at this job. They could find someone so much more competent.”	Sad, isolated, shameful

This table closely resembles the model that therapist often use while providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Looking at this chart we can see that our thoughts lead to our feelings. Do we have to have this thought? No! We are not required to have a negative thought after an event. We can flip it around with conscious effort!

Let’s replace that thought with a new one…

Event	Thoughts	Feelings
A coworker notices that there is an error in my data report at work	“What a great catch! I am so glad my coworker has my back.”	Grateful, a little embarrassed

This table closely resembles the model that therapists often use while providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Let me be clear that replacing the thought with a new one takes persistent effort. Our negative feelings might not 100% go away. For example, I might still be embarrassed about the fact that I made an error. I can also recognize that I do not feel shameful regarding the error and that the gratitude I feel toward my coworker is beneficial to a positive workplace environment.

With all these things considered, I want to pose a question to you!

Do you desire to change your mindset to create a better outlook and encourage growth in your life?

If so, I am glad to offer a free 15 minute consultation for you! I am very excited to share tools and tricks that I have learned to help encourage a healthier, more balanced life and mind! Please send me an email at laraespinozamindsetcoaching@yahoo.com to schedule your free 15 minute consultation.