In the previous article, we talked about how to stop negative thinking that come from within yourself, hope you got time and read it. In today’s article, we are going to talk about how to stop negative thinking from outsiders’ influence.
To stop negative thinking that comes from Other People’s (external) actions and comments, you need to learn to change your reactions, you need to learn the necessary skills that enable you to embrace other people’s negative thoughts and turn them into a positive benefit. Here are some of the guidelines you can follow.
Ask for Advice
When someone makes a negative comment to you about a certain situation, ask him or her what he or she would do to rectify or improve the situation. Instead of simply agreeing to their views, find out what makes them feel the way they do. This will not only enable you to review the comment for facts, but it will also allow you to learn from their thoughts and, hopefully, find new ideas to make the situation even better.
Once you know the facts behind a comment, you can either eliminate the negative influence of an irrational comment from your mind, or you can apply positive thinking to a valid comment to cancel out the negative influence.
Be Open to Suggestions
Attempt to view the negative comments of others simply as expressions of caring. Perhaps the person’s comment was made out of a fear of seeing you fail. You can discuss the comment with them and let them know that you want their suggestions. If their suggestions are invalid, just simply dismiss them. On the other hand, if their suggestions are valid, use the ideas to strength and expand your original idea.
Never Take a Negative Comment Personally
Rather than just assume that the comment was meant as a criticism of you or your idea, take the time to review the comment for another meaning. Ask yourself – was the comment of expression shows how that person feels about him or herself? Was the comment a result of the other person’s insecurity? Was the comment born of a belief that the other person holds against your field of business?
People make negative comments all the time for a variety of reasons, there probably no way for you to truly know the reason behind their comments, so keep in mind of that the statement very rarely reflects the abilities of the person who was stated to.
If that knowledge is not enough and you are still in doubt, go ahead and ask the person for clarification. Just remember to take anything they say as their opinion and not a fact. Also remember to challenge their thoughts with the questions you learned previously in order to eliminate the negative from your thoughts.
Attempt to Turn Negative Comments Into a Resource for New Ideas
Anytime you are faced with a negative comment, search the words for a new idea or resource. Is the person making the comment an expert in your field? Then perhaps, they are on to something and can point you in a new or a better direction. Is the comment coming from a loved one who has helped you research this idea? Then, maybe their idea is coming from a different approach to the same idea. Explore this option and see what you can learn.
If after following the previous guidelines, you still have negative thoughts that you simply cannot change, it may be time to learn how to use that negative thinking in a positive way.
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