How to Break the Cycle of Negativity by Cultivating Gratitude

We often meet people in our lives who are unhappy. Sometimes they might not even realize it themselves. They might get angry at everything, or have trouble communicating. They might not like being alone with themselves for very long.

Is it possible to beat that state? There are many examples of people who do. So can you.

How to Break the Cycle of Negativity by Cultivating Gratitude

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.

- Eckhart Tolle

Everyone has trouble from time to time, and it can seem there are always reasons to get angry or upset. If you start to think of everything bad that has happened to you, be it with relatives, colleagues, situations, or mistakes you've made, it's easy to feel a sense of loss.

But our minds are like computer programs in a way. When we focus on our sense of loss and get sad or depressed about the negative things that happen in our lives, we create new neuro-connections in our mind. This repeats every time we do it, and we end getting ourselves caught in a negative cycle that keeps bringing us back to the same dark places.

We literally feed our negativity with our thoughts. The important question here is whether you want to continue that suffering. If the answer is "no," then here is our next step: We can't get rid of trouble in our life, but we don't have to focus on it. Our mind is programmed based on what we focus on. Instead of anger, trouble, and complaints, we can focus on gratitude.

Create an anchor of your gratitude

The easiest way to break the habit is to create an anchor. Find some small thing that you like -- a stone, a little key-chain, a cross, an amulet, anything. Hold it in your hand and start thinking of everything you are thankful for in your life. Can't find what to be thankful for? If you are reading this, you can at least be thankful for your eyes, for life, for the world, for words and language, for thoughts and heart.

That process of holding a symbol of that gratitude in your hand will always be available to you. And now, every time you get into a negative cycle, just take that amulet and start feeling gratitude for what you have. Each time it will be easier. At some point, you won't need a symbol anymore, because you will have enough new neuro-connections in your mind to get to your place of gratitude without it.

Change your thinking, change your life

We often consider our brains to be ourselves. We forget that it is more like a tool that we have control over. Negativity, anger and sadness come mostly from safety mechanisms. Our emotions and brain are both there to protect us, and our neuro-connections respond to situations with the aim of protecting our habits. If complaining is your habit, your mind will try to protect it. 

Begin by being thankful for your mind, and expressing your gratitude by giving your mind time to rest. With time, you can change your mental habits, to create a world of neuro-connections that are built for joy and love. With these emotions in your life, there will be no room for negativity.