positive thinking

Harness the Power of Positive Thinking

Presented bySylvia Lane and Michelle Baca

January 21, 2009

Our Objective

• To help you produce positive results in your life and your work by giving you access to more power and positivity when you need it

www.convergencecoaching.com ©Copyright ConvergenceCoaching, LLC 2002-

2009 All rights reserved.

Our Agenda

• How negative thought patterns are formed• How to transform negative thought patterns into

positive ones• Centering techniques including meditation and

spiritual practices/prayer• Methods for creating positive results including

visualization and goal-setting



Poll #1

• What prevents you from staying positive? Check any of the following that apply:– Negative co-workers and/or family members– You’re mind is always racing– Negative messages from television, newspapers, and

other media sources

– You feel like you don’t have control over the things thathappen in your life

– Self-defeating thoughts (I should have... I’ll never be able to)

– You’re overwhelmed by all the things on your to-do list– Other



Let’s Get Centered

• One technique for reducing stress and generating positive thinking is getting centered – We’ll use centering to get present and focus

on our session today • The purpose here is to focus the mind,

to allow more clarity by honing in on one particular thought or image– It does not make the others go away– It draws the attention to the chosen thought

orimage



Let’s Get Centered

• We’ll focus on getting “clear” and open to the ideas of this session

• We’ll use a breathing technique to help center ourselves– Close your eyes and focus on your breath– Inhale deeply through your nose for a count

of 5-10 seconds– Hold for 1-2 seconds– Exhale deeply through your mouth– Repeat



Transforming Negative Thought Patterns into

Positive Ones

The Little Voice In Our Heads• When you're stressed, there is negative

"self talk" in your head• That little voice often tells us things that

are not necessarily helpful• When you're under a lot of stress, your

mind is on auto pilot• When you are on autopilot – that negative

self-talk (the stories we tell ourselves) becomes our “truth”



You’re Not The Only One!• Everybody has the little voice in their heads• Our minds race with an enormous amount

of internal dialogue• We are all the products of years of

“programming” that have molded our internal dialogue

• It becomes so deeply ingrained that it is like a CD playing over and over again in our heads



Awareness Is Key

• As soon as you become aware that your mind is on “auto-pilot,” you have an opportunity to reduce your stress

• The voice in your head is not you – Stop and listen to what the voice is saying– Simply notice without judgment– Practice quieting the mind



Forms of Negative Self-Talk• Sometimes negative self-talk just

means that your own misperceptions, lack of information, and distorted ideas have overpowered your capacity for logic and reason



I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually

happenedMark Twain

Forms of Negative Self-Talk• Forms of negative self-talk include:

– Filtering: You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out the positive ones

– Personalizing: When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself

– Catastrophizing: You automatically anticipate theworst

– Polarizing: You see things only as either good orbad



Adapted from MayoClinic.com

Poll #2

• Which form of negative self-talk are you most guilty of?– Filtering: You magnify the negative aspects of a

situation and filter out the positive ones– Personalizing: When something bad occurs, you

automatically blame yourself– Catastrophizing: You automatically anticipate the

worst– Polarizing: You see things only as either good or

bad



How Our Thought Patterns Were Created • It helps to consider where the negative

thought patterns came from in order to understand why they are powerful, deeply ingrained and difficult to shift

• Understanding how negative thought patterns are formed helps us understand how to “flip” them and create more positive thought patterns



How Our Thought Patterns Were Created • Modeling

– We learn and model people of influence in our lives such as parents, teachers, peers, bosses, co-workers, and siblings

• Personal Experience – Our thoughts are based on past experience and the evidence

that we have seen– Repeated failure creates negative thinking and similarly

repeated success creates positive thinking

• The Stories We Hear– We base our beliefs on the stories we hear of others’

experiences– Sometimes they become our truth, especially in the absence

of evidence to the contrary



How Our Thought Patterns Were Created • Physical Programming

– Our bodies are very perceptive and responsive– Our physical experiences affect and shape our thought

patterns• Experiences that create open, good physical sensations

encourage positive thought patterns (endorphin-producing exercise, enjoying or playing music, singing, playing a favorite sport, being “in the zone,” physical touch and closeness)

• Experiences that produce negative physical responses encourage negative thought patterns (bodily stress responses like racing heart, upset stomach, tension, violence, physical and/or verbal abuse)



How Our Thought Patterns Were Created • Quantum Physics and the Law of

Attraction– Thoughts have an energy that

attracts like energy– You are like a human transmission

tower, attracting more of what you focus your thoughts and attention on



The greatest weapon against stress and

biggest opportunity for positivity is our ability to choose one thought over

another.

- William James

Interpretations

• Now that you understand how your thoughts are formed, you can see that:– You have many filters in which you listen and

receive information

– You apply the information you receive based on your past experiences or those of others

– There are many ways to interpret any given situation



Interpretations Can Be Tricky!• It is worth developing a number of potential

ways to view an issue before identifying your approach to it

• We suggest you play an interpretations game– You will see that there are many potential reasons or

causes for each issue and different ways to view it

– Use the interpretations game to vent your negative feelings and see that there are other possible ways to view each situation that are worth exploring



Then Pick a New Interpretation • You can affect your response to stress by

adjusting your chosen version of the “truth” and:– Choose the most positive interpretations – Become 100% responsible for everything

going on in your life!– Look at situations from another’s perspective– Let go of control and perfectionism– Work to eliminate “should,” “must, “

“never,” “always,” and any other self-defeating words from your vocabularywww.convergencecoaching.com

©Copyright ConvergenceCoaching, LLC 2002-2009 All rights reserved.

Then Pick a New Interpretation

– See the glass as half full– Have a sense of humor – especially

when you don’t feel like laughing!– Reframe problems as opportunities– Focus on the long-term and how

relevant (or irrelevant) this problem will be in a month or year

– Learn to forgive



Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal power comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought to cancel

it out.Norman Vincent Peale

Centering On The Positive• Centering is important to focus your thoughts

and relax your body and we already explored breathing as one form

• There are a number of other centering practices• Meditation

– Choose a place that is quiet and free from distractions – Sit in silence or choose a particular sound or word that

you can begin to repeat to yourself with a comfortable rhythm and frequency that feels comfortable for you

– You may find yourself drifting into a state somewhere between being awake and asleep - let that be OK



Centering On The Positive• Spiritual Practice/Prayer

– A centering activity advocated by spiritual teachers or established religious organizations

• The most common form is centering through prayer– Usually spiritual practice begins with sitting or kneeling,

closing the eyes, folding the hands, and reciting silently or out loud some specific words or phrases that create a feeling of connection with a higher power

– The energy seems to be accelerated when practiced with a group

• Affirmations– Create positive statements to support a desired result

• Avoid negative language and refocus on the positive • One of the first affirmations taught to children in the U.S. is “I

think I can” from the Little Train That Could– Post affirmations in visible places so you are reminded of them

frequently



Centering On The Positive• Visualization

– Mentally imagine a picture of a desired positive result – Feel or experience the result

• Even what you would see, hear, taste, and smell

– Express gratitude for the change as though it has already taken place

• Goal Setting– Create a clear vision of your positive result with plans and

activities that will get you there– Develop timelines and specific measures or results – Share these with someone else and keep that person

updated on your progress – celebrate results!



Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in

harmony.Gandhi

Inspired Action

• It is not enough to visualize and recite affirmations– You must be willing to take action and seize

opportunities when they present themselves– It takes courage – the willingness to act even in the

face of fear and uncertainty• You can’t afford to

– Wait for “the right time”– Let your doubts get in the way– Second guess yourself– Waste time trying to get it perfect



Identify An InspiredAction Step• Think about something that you would like to

accomplish– Visualize the end result– What will it be like, feel like, how will things be

different?• What action step could you take towards

achieving your goal? – Do not let yourself be stopped by the “what ifs,”

“yeah buts,” and the “I’ll wait until the time is right” syndrome



A leader has to be positive about all things that happen to his team.

Look at nothing in the past as a failure.

Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K)USA Olympic Basketball Team

Coach

Mirroring Expected Behavior• Mirror leadership behavior and watch your own

stress reflections more carefully– If you’re snippy, grouchy, high-strung, defeatist,

short, or otherwise “stressed out” – count on those around you to react similarly

• During periods of stress, you need to model positive behavior more than any other time– Those around you will follow your lead and need

someone to demonstrate a can-do attitude – Make sure you’re practicing the individual stress

management techniques outlined previously or the rest of these ideas are moot!



Next Steps

Where Do You Start?

Pay attention to times when you feel negative and practice identifying the trigger for your negativity

Pay attention to times when you feel especially positive and practice identifying the circumstances and thought patterns that produce that state of mind

Find ways that you can reduce stress for yourself Exercise, eat better, sleep more, etc.

Commit to practice positive thinking and adopt new habits such as meditation, visualization, and taking inspired action steps www.convergencecoaching.com


Make One Commitment

• Managing stress and adopting a positive outlook and attitude requires ongoing attention – it is the only way to have it all!

• Identify what you want to undertake – personally or organizationally – and then commit – No “trying” allowed!– Trying means you’re not going to do it or

that something can knock that commitment down

“Do or do not. There is no try” - Jedi Master Yoda



Poll #3

• Which one idea to help maintain a positive outlook can you commit to explore out of this web seminar? (check only one)– Reduce your stress level by exercising more,

sleeping more, and eating more healthfully– Begin practicing quieting the mind and

“watching your thoughts” – Post affirmations in visible places so you are

reminded of them frequently – Begin doing a daily centering or meditation

practice– Identify the first action step towards one of

your goals and set a by-date to complete it by – Other www.convergencecoaching.com


Questions?

Thank You!

• Contact us at any time!

Michelle Baca(505) 217-2094

[email protected]

Sylvia Lane(949) 443-3915

[email protected]



Resources



ConvergenceCoaching Resources• ConvergenceCoaching’s web site includes

articles and tools related to positive thinking and managing stress– www.convergencecoaching.com

• Visit our blog for posts on topics such as: – Resolving To Be Positive in 2009– Maintaining Your Mojo – How Positive Are You? – Believe! – Is Busy A Good Thing? – http://blog.convergencecoaching.com



Stress Management Resources• Annual "Attitudes In The American Workplace"

Gallup Poll sponsored by the Marlin Company

• American Institute of Stress at www.stress.org

• American Psychological Association Help Center at www.apahelpcenter.org

• “Can stress actually be good for you?” by Jane Weaver, www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15818153/

• “Desk rage: Workers Gone Wild” by Jacqueline Stenson, www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15814840/



Stress Management Resources• HelpGuide.org

• Institute for Management Excellence at www.itstime.com/oct2002.htm

• Managing Job Stress: 10 Strategies for Coping and Thriving at Work by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., www.quintcareers.com/printable/managing_job_stress.html

• MindTools at www.mindtools.com/smpage.html

• Mountain State Centers for Independent Living at www.mtstcil.org/skills/stress-intro.html



Stress Management Resources• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH) at www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html

• Revolution Health at www.revolutionhealth.com

• Spiritual Depression by Lloyd-James, D. Martyn (Erdmans Printing 1965)

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey (Simon and Schuster, 1989)

• University of Maryland Medical Center at www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_stress_000031_1.htm



Positive ThinkingResources• Successconsciousness.com - Awakening the

wisdom and power within you • Taming Your Gremlin by Rick Carson (Harper

Collins, New York, 2003)• The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander and

Rosamund Stone (Penguin Books, 2002)• The Field by Lynne McTaggart (Harper Collins,

2002) • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (New World

Library, 1999)



Positive ThinkingResources• The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent

Peale (Fireside Press, New York, 2003)• The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books, New York,

2006)• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (Napoleon Hill

1937)• Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia

www.wikipedia.org• MayoClinic.com at

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009



http://www.wikipedia.org/

Conflict Management Resources• Conflict Resolution Network at

www.crnhq.org/windskill1.html • www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/

Brochures/ManageConflict.html• www.freebizplan.org/

business_strategies/management/conflict.htm

• The Heart of a Leader by Ken Blanchard (1999) www.convergencecoaching.com


Conflict Management Resources• Management by Kathryn M. Bartol and

David C. Martin (Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1998)

• Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution at www.state.oh.us/cdr/schools/contentpages/styles.htm

• Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, & Annie McKee (Harvard Business School Press, 2002)



Organizational Change Resources• Deloitte & Touche, LLP

– www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/2005_WIN_Annual_Report.pdf

• “How Employers Can Win the Talent Quest – Book Summary On Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business.” Leigh Branham. http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2001/sb2001014_851.htm

• Managing in the Age of Change: Essential Skills to Manage Today's Workforce, Roger A. Ritvo, Anne Litwin, and Lee Butler, editors: IRWIN Professional Publishing

• Rupert & Company FlexWise Programs– flextools.rupertandcompany.com/preview/approach.htm



positive thinking

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negative thoughtpatterns

negative messages

negative selftalk

forms of negative selftalk

negative aspects of

positive ones personalizing

terrible things