| When you first try to tap in to the power of positive | | | | rid of a weed is to yank it out, roots and all. How do |
| thinking, you need to start in a small way. If you don't | | | | you overcome the negativity and lay the foundation |
| believe it will work, or you're not sure, then suspend | | | | for a healthy life outlook? |
| your disbelief and try to work on small changes. | | | | Self-Esteem, or what you privately think of yourself is |
| It's one thing to tell yourself, "Tomorrow, when I wake | | | | the key. |
| up in the morning I won't snooze several times and feel | | | | For most of human existence, self-esteem was an |
| drowsy for the rest of the day," and quite another to | | | | unheard-of notion akin to the theories of those heretics |
| tell yourself, "Tomorrow, when I wake up in the | | | | who believed the world was round. The term |
| morning I'll be living in a fourteen bedroom mansion and | | | | "self-esteem" - defined by Webster's Dictionary as |
| rolling in riches." (Unless, of course, you are in fact | | | | "pride in oneself; self-respect" - made its way into the |
| independently wealthy and living in a mansion at the | | | | common public awareness during the 1960s and 1970s |
| moment; in which case you might try to think your way | | | | as a catch-all term to describe the essence of |
| into ownership of a small country.) | | | | parenting problems. |
| The process of making positive thinking work for you | | | | The "old ways" of parenting were pronounced |
| begins with breaking down your existing thought | | | | barbaric and damaging to the budding self-esteem of |
| structure and creating a new positive attitude. In order | | | | our youth, and many parents fearful of raising unhappy, |
| to make room for new methods and ideas, you must | | | | ill-adjusted children took advice that led to a generation |
| first rip out all the old negative thinking patterns you've | | | | of children with high self-esteem... so high it eclipsed |
| been building throughout your life. For some, this can be | | | | personal responsibility and created a "me-first" |
| a gradual process: as you witness positive thinking | | | | mentality. On the other hand, most of us are taught |
| work for you, one small step at a time, you will slowly | | | | that thinking highly of ourselves is a vain, selfish and |
| clear out those | | | | undesirable trait. |
| 'good-things-only-happen-to-other-people' thoughts and | | | | Advice telling us to feel better about ourselves and |
| be able to cultivate the seeds of change. With each | | | | occasionally put us first seems counter-intuitive at best. |
| small change you will find that your positive attitude | | | | After all, isn't self-love the first step on the road to Ego |
| also changes. | | | | Central? Many people want to feel good about |
| "The greatest revolution of our generation is the | | | | themselves, but guilt too often rears its ugly head and |
| discovery that human beings, by changing the inner | | | | stops healthy self-esteem from developing. |
| attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects | | | | Because of these conflicting viewpoints, self-esteem is |
| of their lives." - William James | | | | a tricky little emotion to manipulate. It's important to |
| "Our lives are what our thoughts make of them." - | | | | strike a balance between modesty and greed. It takes |
| Marcus Aurelius | | | | practice to convince yourself that you are a |
| What's holding you back? Even those who fully | | | | worthwhile and deserving person, while at the same |
| embrace the theory of positive thinking may feel some | | | | time keeping in mind that you're not the centre of the |
| qualms over entrusting their lives to mere thought. | | | | universe. Though it may sound impossible, it's actually |
| There are many possibilities that could be producing | | | | simple to accomplish. |
| weeds in your mental garden, and the best way to get | | | | |