Good afternoon!
I hope you are having a good day so far.
I am trucking along on my To-Do list…
I use Gmail Calendar for my major tasks and then I also tend to write out a daily To-Do list so I have something tangible in front of me to check off. I find crossing off lists is so satisfying! I always think of things as the day goes by, so my list gets added to as I think of them. Any leftover tasks that are unchecked at the end of the day get transferred to tomorrow’s list!
How To Beat Negative Thinking: Part 2
4. Play The Paper Clip Chain Game
I read about this trick for the first time last night and this morning I decided to try it out because it sounded really fun.
How it works: What you do is create a Paper Clip Chain by adding a paper clip for every negative thought that you have.
For example, if you think, ‘Oh my boss is going to think I did a bad job on this task’ that equals 1 paperclip.
Here is my Paper Clip Chain after this morning:
I was able to catch 12 negative thoughts in action!!!! I’m sure there were more too that I just missed.
It was quite surprising, especially considering that I consider myself to be quite positive!
It really helped me:
1) Recognize the negative thought, and
2) Help to counter it as I clipped on the paperclip.
The great thing about this game is that you can play it at school or work and no one will be the wiser! ;)
5. Remember The Good Stuff
We all deal with negative people in our lives that try to bring us down. When you are faced with a negative comment or action, try to remember the good stuff.
For example, if your sister says to you, ‘Your jeans are looking a big snug today, did they shrink in the wash?’, immediately try to remind yourself of a positive time surrounding your jeans or legs.
Perhaps, your boyfriend told you that you have gorgeous legs or your best friend said she would die to have your athletic legs. Or maybe all you need to do is remind yourself of a kick-butt workout that you had and how proud you were that your legs were able to carry you through it.
Counter the negativity as soon as possible before you let it even register!
6. Start Thinking of Yourself as a Positive Person
When I started this blog, I was amazed at how many people said I had an infectious positivity about me. This was a bit surprising to hear because I still struggle with negative thoughts all the time! However, hearing these words made me start to think that maybe I could be a positive person! Once I started to believe that I was, it was contagious. When I pictured myself as a happy and positive person, I found that I started to act in a manner that was congruent with this schema. Positivity breeds positivity!
7. Pay someone a compliment
As you may have witnessed from Operation Beautiful, paying others compliments can really increase the positivity that you feel about yourself. If you are feeling negative about yourself, try saying something nice to the next person that crosses your path.
I know for myself, I often think nice things about people but I am too shy to tell them!!!! Sometimes, I decide to take the leap and say it out loud and I am often surprised at how good this makes me feel in return. It is especially fun to tell a complete stranger on the street a compliment.
I challenge you to pay a compliment to the very next person you see!!!!
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Have you ever received a compliment by a complete stranger? What was it and how did you feel? Do you ever tell strangers compliments or do nice things for people you don’t know?
Once I was was in a store picking up a few items and this older lady came up to me and said I had a beautiful smile. I was just floored and I couldn’t stop smiling whenever I thought of it.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. — Eleanor Roosevelt
Great post. I think the negative/ positive thought exercise is really useful. I tried it myself for the first time last night and it made me feel a little better.
I’m still on the edge of my seat for the rest of “A Year Can Change A Lot” though!
Good luck with the rest of that to-do list.
It’s coming….promise!! :) They take a long time to write, haha
This was so great! I loved both of these posts!!
#1 Yes I have recieved a compliment from a complete stranger. I was at the grocery store and I was tending my niece. This woman came up and told me she had been watching me with my little niece (Who she thought was my daughter) She told me how kind and gentle of a mother I was. She told me that this little girl was lucky to have me.
Although it wasn’t my daughter it made me feel so good. I felt proud as an aunt and it gave me confidence for when I will be a mother. It was lovely!
#2 My mom always taught me that if i thought something nice about someone it was important to tell them. I try to live by that. Even if it is a stranger! One time I saw the cutest pregnant girl ever…i told her how cute she looked and she broke down crying. She told me she was having a horrible day she was feeling fat and ugly and that compliment meant the world to her.
WOW!! I will never forget it!
I would love to be able to compliment strangers, especially other women. I see women everyday, either rocking a great pair of jeans, or nice bracelet and I would love to say something, but don’t want them to think I am a weirdo. The 12 year old girl I baby-sit for has no qualms about it. You should have seen the look on this 50-something woman’s face in the supermarket when she told her how much she loved her necklace – this woman was seriously shocked (and also obviously very appreciative)! I loved it!
Heaps to think about . . . . thanks Angela!
Hey girlie!
I ALWAYS use paper to-do lists… I love checking things off as I go. It’s great to see it dwindle. Remember the to-do list I posted of the ‘wedding to-dos”?? Oh my gosh, there was so many but I loved seeing the list go down and I always had it in front of me whenever I sat at the computer so it was staring me in the face and I knew I had to get it done haha.
I’m a big fan of remembering the positives.. that always helps me.
PLUS, I like to remind myself that many situations that are stressful or negative are often temporary. So when i’m in a bind I always think “this will not last long” and I am able to truck my way through it.
Positivity is definetly contagious without a doubt! I am also always shy to pay random people comliments but if I think back to times when I was complimented and how it made me feel I think it is silly to be so shy about it! Who doesn’t love a compliment? Great post!
Just yesterday someone told me they liked my shoes, and it made my mood a lot better. Normally I don’t tell strangers if I like what they’re wearing or how they look, but every so often I do and it makes me feel great knowing I just gave them a little boost.
The paper clip game is a good one, I’ll have to do that for a day because I know have way too negative nancy’s floating around my head.
I think compliments from strangers are the best. They have nothing to gain so it’s almost like you can trust them more.
I live in the deep south (Mississippi) and talking to strangers is not a big deal. You like a strangers shirt, you tell them. You make eye contact, you smile and say hello. There are no strangers in the south. Just funny accents! =)
Great follow up. I am going to play the paper clip game!
i find such great satisfaction in crossing things off lists that i will sometimes write things down i’ve already done that day, just so i can cross them off :).
That is one serious to-do list girly!!! Good job keeping organized and getting everything done! Nothing feels better than crossing things off once you’ve completed them :)
Good job on getting all your stuff done! hooray for marked off to do items!
I have rec’d compliments from strangers before. It used to make me feel uncomfortable but now, it just brightens my day and I feel thankful that I have become a positive thinker instead of always thinking negative things!
One time I saw a young guy (we were about the same age I was just younger then) I had seen in several community theater productions and really loved. Without even thinking about it I ran up to him and started gushing about how much I loved him him the plays I had seen him in. I felt a little embarassed afterwards but I bet I made his day.
I like the paper clip trick! I am going to start doing that. And you are definitely right, positivity is contagious!
Hi Angela,
LOVE that you make lists. My WHOLE BLOG is based on a to-do list! Anyways, I really want to commend you for being brave enough to put your personal thoughts out there like this. Also, sharing what you’ve learned about positive thinking.. well, that just makes you awesome.
Get this, I recently interviewed a fitness model who says that, once a day, she does something kind for a TOTAL STRANGER. Could be paying for an unexpected manicure while she’s getting her own nails done, covering the bill for someone’s dinner or giving away something she knows that person has admired. Best part… she does this ANONYMOUSLY! She wants nothing in return – just makes her feel good. Anyway, on my “to-do list” is to try this for ONE WEEK.
Sounds like an out-of-the-ordinary model! I agree, though, that doing acts of kindness anonymously makes you feel better. It reminds me of that Friends episode where Joey and Phoebe fight over the fact that there is no act of kindness that is truly selfless because you get the gratification of knowing you did something for someone else
This lady that I interviewed was one of the most positive people I’ve met in a while. And, you know, her career in the fitness industry is taking off in a big way. When I asked her what her secret was, she said, “I stay positive, no matter what, and good fortune just comes to me..” She said her positive attitude always sets off a chain of events of good things.
She inspired me.
I loved these positivity posts, Ange. I find myself being negative quite often, and these tips will come in handy.
As for compliments from strangers, I once had the receptionist for a non-profit organization I volunteered with in college tell me that my smile could light up a room. At the time, I was really struggling with my weight and had a very low opinion of myself. This act of kindness from a stranger made me feel like a million bucks. I think I’ll return the favor by complimenting a stranger today. :-)
I just got a random nice compliment from a stranger last week, I was in the checkout line at a grocery store when a older woman stopped and told me she thought I was just so pretty! I stopped and said thank you for making my day! That was so nice of her to say.
post a WWW.OPERATIONBEAUTIFUL.COM note!! :)
I love the quotes you have at the end of your entries. I’m rather obsessed with quotes and always write down and keep the ones that strike a chord with me. You always seem to have ones that I’ve never come across…I love it!
The paper clip idea is so neat! I’m really loving this series of blog posts. Thanks for writing them!
I have received compliments from complete strangers, and they always make my day :-) I occasionally compliment strangers, although sometimes I am too shy.