The power of neutral thinking

Alexis Rae Baker

Dear Readers,

Have you ever come across a piece of information that threw you for a loop? I did recently, and it really got me thinking. Most spiritual teachers state that positive thoughts are more powerful and that a positive person has a greater impact on the world than any number of negative people combined. And while the second part of that may be true, the first is not, according to the late Trevor Moawad, who was a consultant and author.

In his research, Trevor determined that negative thoughts are 4 to 7 times more powerful than positive thoughts. But, on top of that, he also discovered that spoken negative thoughts are amplified 10 times (40 to 70 times more powerful than positive thoughts).

It’s not pleasing to think that we have such a strong bias toward the negative, but as I dug into this concept, I started to get an idea as to why this might be the case.

When we think of a negative thought, we already believe that it’s true. Whereas, when we’re thinking positive thoughts, we are often trying to fool our brains into believing them. Our negative thoughts are usually in response to something that is actually happening in our lives, whereas our positive thoughts are often based on the desire to escape a bad situation.

This isn’t always the case, but it rings pretty true within my own life.

So often, we try to bully our brains into submission, bombarding them with positive thoughts in the hopes that we will eventually come to believe them. The problem with this approach, though, is that we’re often ignoring the evidence right in front of our eyes in our attempt and then wind up causing more problems. We deplete our self-trust.

So, rather than focusing on affirmations as a means to improve your life, Trevor suggests transitioning to becoming a neutral thinker instead. Rather than forcing your brain to accept a truth that contradicts your life, instead try to think about things in a more factual way. If you’re low on money, don’t think, “I’m surrounded by wealth,” instead say things like, “I need to find a way to get more money.” Nothing within you will reject this second thought and it will also inspire further questions like: “How can I find, or create new income streams?” “What opportunities are already available to me that I’m not utilizing?” “What evidence do I have that I can find a solution?”

These questions trigger your brain into solution-seeking mode and, as a result, you’ll start to take action, and action is a powerful combatant against negative thinking. When you’re actively moving toward a goal, you usually are so focused that you don’t even have time to consider the negatives; it’s only when you stop working that those thoughts start to sneak up once more.

If you can learn to master the art of neutral thinking, there’s no telling how far it can take you. And, if you can remember to think more neutrally, it no longer matters whether a negative thought is less or more powerful because you have the power of momentum on your side.

In all likelihood, as you progress forward, positive thoughts will start to replace the negative ones and your life will continue to improve, but now that’s a side effect rather than the goal. By choosing to be a little more practical in your thinking and increasing your sense of self-trust, you’ll quickly start to see the world in a new light.

~ Lexis

Lexis is Alexis Rae Baker. She writes from her home in Olympia.  Got a question about life, relationships, spirit? Visit her at lexisrae.com or write to Lexis at  Lexis@theJOLTnews.com 

EDITOR'S NOTE:  The opinions expressed above are those of Alexis Rae Baker and not necessarily of The JOLT or its staff or board of directors.