6 Mindful Ways to Change Your Thoughts and Transform Your Life

“Nothing good stands without the right attitude. You may know how to do it, but if the attitude is negative, all you can say is “I could have done it”.” – Israelmore Ayivor

It is our thoughts that control and determine the quality of our life. Happy, positive, and optimistic thoughts are the ones that will lead to a life well-lived. Anger, bitterness, and pessimistic thoughts are the ones that will suck out all of the joy in our lives.

This goes without saying, but if we want to live a happier and more fulfilling life, then we must change the way in which we think in order to create the thoughts and emotions that we seek and desire. 

You might think it’s difficult to focus on positive thoughts, especially when you are in a negative state of mind. And to that, you are right. But the amazing thing about the human brain is that it adapts very well to whatever information and habits we feed it. Change is not instantaneous, but when you develop positive habits, that’s when you start to create a positive life for yourself.

Everything that we do in life is a choice. You do have a say over which thoughts to pay attention to. You do have a say in the environment in which you put yourself in. You do have a say in the quality of your life and the direction you go in. 

It may not always feel like this is the case since a lot of the things that we do are based on habits in which we have developed over the years, but with a little awareness and some time, you can replace negative thoughts with more positive ones.

6 Ways to Change Your Thoughts and Transform Your Life

Here are 6 ways to change your thoughts and transform your life so that you can start living the life you have always envisioned for yourself.

1. Create positive and uplifting affirmations.

No, I am not kidding. The best and easiest thing that you can do to change your thoughts is to use more positive affirmations. If the thoughts that we think and the things that we tell ourselves become our reality, it only makes sense that we would want to use positive affirmations.

Think about how many times you have gone into a situation feeling less than confident about your abilities. When you are in a negative state of mind and lack confidence, you struggle to perform to the best of your true ability. But when you go into different situations feeling positive and confident, you tend to perform better. 

This is because your thoughts become your reality. When you focus on the positives not only do you feel more confident in yourself, but you are also able to think with a clear mind. This is a combination for success. 

2. Focus on your why. 

When I struggle with my thoughts, it’s generally because I lack focus. I forgot why I am doing the things that I do or what my intent is in the first place. 

Everybody has a why. Our why is what motivates us when we feel like giving up. It is the reason for which we do the things that we do and what we believe our life’s’ purpose to be. Without a why or a set intention, we struggle to find a clear sense of direction. 

That’s why it’s so important that we focus on our why. Write down what your why is. Stare at it daily. Memorize it. Tell it to your family and friends. Whatever you have to do to engrain your why into your mind, do it.

Once you start to focus on your why, all of your thoughts and the direction in which you are going in life will be a lot more clear. 

3. Appreciate what you already have. 

A great way to change your thoughts is to take a step back and appreciate more of the things that you already have. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have goals for yourself and remain content. It means that you should be grateful for the life that you are living and make the most out of it. 

With a growing digital world around us, we get so caught up in wanting more, more, and more to the point that we forget to acknowledge all of the amazing blessings that life has already provided for us. If we don’t learn to appreciate what we have now, will we ever appreciate anything in life? 

Take a moment and step back. Focus on all of the amazing blessings that already fill your life. While you should want to be the best that you can be, don’t forget to appreciate what you already have.

4. Focus on the present moment. 

One way to appreciate all of the blessings that fill your life is to focus on the present moment. We often become fixated on an end goal that we forget to acknowledge and cherish the life that we are currently living. 

Right now is the only certain time in our lives. We don’t know if we will be here in ten years, in two years, or tomorrow for that matter. Don’t get so fixated on living a future life that is all but certain to the point where you forget to live the one that you already have. 

5. Be the best version of you that you can be. 

It is impossible to change the world around you and the thoughts and opinions of everyone that is in it. No matter what you do, there are always going to be people who aren’t going to agree with you and who aren’t always going to like you. 

This doesn’t make you a bad person. Everybody is different. We all have different interests, different strengths, and different visions for how we want our lives to look. Don’t try to be someone your not. Learn to be the best version of you that you can be, and if others don’t like you for it, that’s their loss. 

Everyone has one life to live. You have one life to live and those around you have one life to live. Don’t let anybody else live your life for you. Be the person that you want to be, achieve the goals that you want to achieve, and live the life that you want to live. If you want to change your thoughts and transform your life, then you need to make the most out of the one life that you have in front of you.

6. Let go of what’s already happened. 

Make the most out of the life that you have in front of you. Unfortunately, no matter how badly you want to change it, the past can never be undone. There is no going back and changing anything, so why even spend your time and energy thinking about trying to do so. 

We all have faced challenges and done things that we aren’t necessarily proud of. Instead of allowing your past to define you, simply learn from your mistakes, become a better person because of them, and let go of them. The more you focus on your past, the more it only consumes your current life.

You change your thoughts and transform your life by becoming conscious of the thoughts that you think. Life is nothing but a blessing, so learn to see it as such and make the most out of every opportunity that it presents you with.

Michael Bonnell