Conquer Your Negative Thoughts

Our brains are such a powerful part of our bodies. Our minds have the ability to create while also setting the tone and progress of everything in our daily lives. Although our minds and our internal thoughts have the power to heal us, they also have the power to hurt us as well. Keeping this in mind (pun intended), this post is all about how I aim to overcome those negative thoughts from my mind and how you can too. 

One of the first things I do to conquer the negative thoughts that creep in is I ask myself, “Where is this thought originating from?” The truth of the matter is that negative thoughts can stem from somewhere in your conscious or even subconscious parts of your mind. Negative thoughts can come in from either prejudice from others or even your doubts within yourself. If you want to combat these negative thoughts, one goal is to address where they arise from and isolate them from your other thoughts.

Once I understand the source of the thought, then I focus my attention on the context of the situation or circumstance of the negative thoughts. For instance, while I was climbing Broad Peak, we did not have all the portable stoves available for our tents as they were supposed to be. While frustrating as it was to be put in this circumstance, focusing on the negative situation at hand was not going to do service to any of us. Acceptance that a situation may be beyond our control is removing the power of a negative thought and changing the narrative of it. 

Eventually, if you want to stop giving negative thoughts any power, you have to release your control of it. If you know where the idea can stem from, whether it be doubt within yourself or an unideal outcome of a situation, then you can pivot the negative thought to a positive one. It’s no secret that shifting your mindset and silver linings are helpful to conquer negative thoughts. Often I find myself, even when I am climbing the side of a mountain, that I need to tell myself that I am capable of reaching that summit. If I stayed in that negative thought and told myself I couldn’t do it or shouldn’t do it, then I am giving the negative thinking more power for me to give up.

Conquering negative thoughts is entirely doable, and you should never give into them. Giving in to your worries, doubts, and other negative thinking will stop you dead in your tracks. Turning your negative thoughts into positive ones can make some of the most challenging climbs, whether it is a mountain you are climbing or anything that you find challenging to do, into more powerful and profound achievements for yourself. Specifically, as physically challenging as it can be climbing up steep slopes, I focus my attention more on the fact that I love this challenge, which is why I continue to push myself further than ever before.