What makes us think negative things about ourselves?
Many of us are often surrounded by negative thoughts, mostly about ourselves, but how many of us have tried to introspect and understand the cause of these feelings? If you pay attention to negative thoughts about yourself, you will notice a definite pattern and know that these thoughts are not random but follow a theme. This theme is called “Core Belief” in one of the therapies known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Core beliefs are the very essence of how we see ourselves, other people, and the world. They develop over time, usually from infancy and through the experience of major life events. Core beliefs are rigid, ingrained, and unbending, and are maintained by a tendency to focus on information that supports the belief and ignore evidence that contradicts it. Based on our core belief, we can predict what kinds of thoughts will flow into our minds in different situations. Thoughts like, “I’m pathetic,” “I’m a failure,” “I’m weak and incapable,” etc. are some common negative core beliefs. And these are difficult to change because they have been with us for a long time, especially since childhood. These are common in people with depression and can promote existing depression.
When we have a fundamentally negative view of ourselves, we are predisposed to interpret negative results as evidence of our shortcomings. And that’s when we start criticizing ourselves and attaching unwanted importance to our shortcomings. This affects our depressed mind to a greater extent and worsens the condition. Self-criticism basically gives depression more power.
Depressed or not, most of us don’t even realize that we are thinking negatively because it seems like we are just reacting to events in our lives, but in reality, our negative thinking is creating those events in our lives. First the thought becomes negative and then the events become negative. And now the question is HOW? Well, every thought we have is recorded by our subconscious mind. And the truth is, the subconscious mind doesn’t even check the validity of our thoughts.
You literally take our word for it. So if you say, for example, “I’m a failure,” then your subconscious mind accepts that and gives it back to you by saying, Yes, you’re a failure, and so your thoughts register accurately. Your subconscious then communicates directly with the quantum mind that manifests your reality. Like the subconscious mind, the quantum mind always says yes. Our thoughts create reality and if every day we have negative thoughts that fall into our bucket then those thoughts will manifest.
Not exactly what we think they are, but they will definitely bring some sort of negativity. For example, if you think about an accident involving a person, you might not exactly have an accident, but there’s a very good chance that your car broke down that particular day or that you were hit somewhere. Some people might consider this a coincidence, but the reality is that negative thoughts create negative events. This is the law of attraction and it works whether we understand it or not.
Coming to the connection of your negative thoughts with depression, you cannot win the battle of depression unless you overcome your negative thoughts and change your thinking patterns. Your commitment to change your mind would save you from depression.
Often these negative thoughts are caused by anxiety and until you cure your anxiety, you can’t get rid of it. The more you try to fight, the worse it gets. That’s why you need to have a mindset that recognizes that these thoughts are a normal part of anxiety and are something that says nothing about you as a person. It can be stressful to have a negative thought, but it’s more stressful if you try to fight that thought when anxiety is holding you back.
If you want to change your life, you have to change your thinking. If you wait for your life to change, for your thinking to change, you will be full of negative thoughts forever.
“If you’re tired of hearing harsh judgments about yourself, it’s time to change the channel.”
