Negative thoughts happen to everyone, well at least to those of us who have a conscience.

Negative thinking can easily erode your self esteem, sabotage personal plans to achieve, bring on anxiety, panic attacks and depression, and derail the potential for you to effectively deal with controlling and manipulative people who are potentially in your life.

Especially prevalent in the wee hours of the morning before the alarm wakes you to full consciousness, negative thoughts can swarm through your mind. You can find yourself focused on every physical ache, pain, or personal issues that need to be dealt with, but maybe are avoiding.

Periods of inactivity in our life, like when one experiences a withdraw from their normal routine due to recovery from surgery or some health crisis are also potential times for negative thoughts to creep in.

How do we escape the power of negative thoughts ? We challenge them by focusing our energies on having a productive day, doing things that demonstrate we are taking steps to grow and challenge whatever we fear, or put off, or avoid. Little steps every day that do not have to be huge, but are evidence that you are moving in a direction to not let fear {avoidance} rule your life.

One Step at a time, step by step, we need to put energy into our own personal growth rather than allowing ourselves to feel stagnant. It is important that we are patient and realistic with ourselves and realize that it is the frequency and repetition of positive growth steps that is more important than how big the steps. Each step will encourage another as long as you keep those steps coming. Your self-esteem will benefit, and you will become strengthened by each step. Like physical exercise, if you try to do to much you will become so sore that you cannot be consistent with your progress.

Gene Benedetto, Psychologist/Emeritus/Coach