Q: My mother tends to operate with the glass half empty. Can you give me some suggestions on how to help her shift to a more positive person?
A: Your mother’s behavior may be largely subconscious behavior that was programmed into her from early on. She may sound like a redundant broken record. The mental chatter of her ego is what Psychologist Carl Jung referred to as “psychic tension.” We all have a tendency to go there at times. There is a way to convert this tension to positive affirmation. Jung referred to this as “psychic equilibrium.”
It is reprogramming the tension by positively affirming a thought that releases the psychic tension. It’s like changing a song from one we don’t like to one we do. It’s switching from the ego to the essence of the soul.
It does take practice and consistency to continually transform negative thoughts into positive optimistic thoughts. The following steps can guide you to help your mother with this shift:
- Help your mother become aware of her thoughts. When you are in a difficult situation, access the situation and what those thoughts were before they developed.
- As you help your mother develop her awareness of these negative thoughts, especially in difficult situations, create a positive thought to replace the negative thought, and help her give her energy to the positive thoughts. Help her focus on what she wants.
- Tell your mother that what she focuses on expands. We attract into our life what we focus on the most. It only makes sense that when you choose to focus on something positive, the positive prevails. It’s important to focus on what you want that what you don’t want.
- Keep in mind the goal is to raise our level of mindful awareness and this will help assist with keeping the positive in the moment.