The “Positive Thinking” Mistake

Whether you’re brand new to this industry or a seasoned pro, there’s no denying the power of positive thinking.

Positive thinking is one of the big pillars of coaching and it’s something that not only helps us realize our dreams, but it makes our journey that much more enjoyable.

So let’s look a little closer at what positive thinking is, and how to properly implement it into your life so that you actually get all the things you want.

Positive Thinking Isn’t the Whole Story

When it comes to positive thinking, instead of thinking ‘I’m a failure’, we’re told to think, ‘I’m a winner’. 

Instead of thinking, ‘I look terrible’, we should think, ‘I'm beautiful’. 

And it totally makes sense!

What we believe determines how we feel and what actions we take. If we believe that we can grow a successful coaching business, look fit, or find true love it’s much more likely to happen than if we believe that we can’t do it. 

But here’s the problem…

Positive thinking alone won’t work unless any negative thoughts you have are addressed, and that’s because those thoughts have a lot of power and are still in there undermining your success and holding you back.

You see, there’s no doubt that positive thinking helps you achieve your most important goals, but if deep down a part of you believes in the negative thoughts, and you just keep trying to flood your mind with positive thinking without ever addressing the negative – then you’re actually self-sabotaging.

What to Do Instead…

Instead of trying to deny your negative thoughts, try embracing them for a while. 

Really sit and stew in that negativity for a while. Be with it. See what it’s really all about. 

Ask yourself, ‘where did this old thought pattern come from?’ and ‘what am I really afraid of?’

In life, everything we fear is really a fear of a feeling… EVERYTHING.

If we can ‘be with’ our feelings, we aren’t ruled by them anymore, and we won’t run from them. 

The locked up negative thoughts and emotions can finally run their course and leave on their own when they are finished with us.

The more you can just be, the less negativity will creep into your mind to begin with because there will be less and less of it all the time!

Easier Said Than Done

This is a simple process, but it’s not an easy one. 

Basically, I’m asking you to avoid running away from your fears and really face up to what's happening inside of you. 

Running comes in many forms: TV, food, alcohol, sex, work, etc. If you overindulge in any of these, you may be running from something.

Being with whatever is in your head and in your body means that you stay present in the moment no matter how uncomfortable it gets.

And this is where the help of a coach makes a huge difference. 

Coaches help people face up to what they're most afraid of and to deal with it in some way. 

But surprisingly, that’s where many coaches fail their clients. They simply aren’t willing to take their clients into deep, dark places.

So as you coach your clients, if you want to keep your clients longer and have lasting results with them, go deeper!

All that said, I still recommend that you do keep thinking positively. It does work. Just as long as you don’t try to sweep all the ‘negative’ stuff under the rug.

So I recommend you set aside some time to think about what you're trying to tuck away. 

Really sit with it and begin letting it run its course. It may take more than one session, but the results over time will dramatically improve your positive thinking. And this is really where the power of positive thinking comes in!

Are you ready to get more powerful results from your positive thinking?

Tell me what you think in the comments below.

Big Hugs and Love,
Christian