Resist Negative Thoughts Assist Positive Thoughts

Hey, sister-friend! Welcome to today’s episode! We’re diving into step 5 of transforming negative thoughts into positive ones. We're about to have a real talk about kicking those negative thoughts to the curb and making space for the good stuff. Life can be tough, and our minds can sometimes feel like a battlefield, but don't worry—we’ve got some practical tips (plus a dash of faith) to help you take control. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, insecure, or stuck in a mental rut, I’m here to walk with you as we uproot the bad and make room for the good. Get ready for some honest conversation, a little encouragement, and simple, actionable steps to help shift your mindset and find peace in your everyday life.

Bible Scripture:“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV):

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hello, beautiful ladies. Welcome back to the She Strives With Faith podcast. I'm your host, Lady B Celeste. Hey, girlfriends. I hope you guys are doing well. Hope you're having a phenomenal day. I do feel like I have not recorded an episode in a very long time, but the truth is it's probably only been a week and a few days.

And I did that on purpose, because we are doing this series on how to change your negative thoughts into positive thinking. And so I wanted to give you-all time to kind of process the first four steps that I discussed not too long ago. I would say maybe a couple of weeks ago. And let me give you a quick recap.

Step number one was changing negative thoughts into positive. Step number two was stop believing you can't control your thoughts. Step number three was your mindset is what you feeded. And then finally, I left off with step number four, confess what you believe not what you feel.

And so today we're going to be going into step number five, where we're going to talk about resisting negative thoughts and assisting positive thoughts. That's step number five.

So we're going to go ahead and deal with these pesky negative thoughts that just seem to pop up out of nowhere and take over our minds, and all it does girls is leave us stressed anxious and just plain exhausted, right? It's not like we don't have enough to be exhausted with. I mean in today's world, we just have so many different things that we're doing.

We definitely don't need to be weighed down by negative thoughts. You know as women we have a lot of responsibilities and so we want to be in a mindset of positivity. Okay. Even when things are not going the way that we want them to. And I always say on the flip side, we also have those positive empowering thoughts that make us feel absolutely confident, inspired, and just ready to tackle the world.

But the problem with the positive thoughts is that they just don't stay around long enough. And so this is where I want to dive into this idea of how to resist negative thoughts and assist positive ones. I know that's a bit of a catchy way to say it, but trust me, it's going to make sense as we go. I want you to think of your mind like a garden.

If you've ever grown anything, I'm talking plants, herbs, or flowers, you know that a garden needs both care and attention to grow, right? In the same way, our thoughts need the same kind of attention. Nurturing the good ones and pulling out the bad ones. Now, if you've ever seen weeds take over a garden, you know just how easy it is for our negative thoughts to take root in our mind without us even trying.

But ladies, ladies, I don't want you to worry. Okay. Why? Because you can make your mind a beautiful space, a beautiful garden that is full of positivity and growth and love and joy and peace. You can have that. It just takes a little intentional work. So let's talk about the bad stuff. The negative thoughts that pop up, like unwelcome guests at a party.

These thoughts can range from self doubt . Such as "I'm not good enough for this job." To worry, such as "What if something goes wrong?" To even a little darker, I'll never get it right. So why even try? I just want to die. My, my, my. And girls, it's not just a one off thing, right? [00:04:00] They can feel like they just keep coming back.

No matter how much we try to push them away. Like, why are they even here bothering us? We ain't bothering them. We're minding our business. Trying to do what women do. And them negative thoughts just keep coming back to nag us. You be like, get away from me. Go away.

But they keep coming back. So why do they stick around like this? Well, this is just my opinion. The thing about negative thoughts is that they're easy to grab on to. Yeah, they don't take much work to grow. I mean think about it. How simple it is to start worrying about something right? It's like our brains just find something to latch on to that's negative and runs with it.

Whether we're stressing about a deadline at work, our children, feeling insecure about our looks, our hair, our bodies, if the bills are going to get paid, if mama is going to get released from the hospital.

Whether it's replaying an awkward conversation, negative thoughts can spiral pretty quickly out of control. And once they start, it feels like they can snowball into even more doubts, more fears, more anxiety. It's like a snowball rolling downhill. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger the more we let it roll.

The more we let our mind get out of control, it becomes a big snowball effect.

In our mind, negative thoughts are like weeds. They're persistent and they grow easily in the right conditions. So without any effort or any care, they can overtake everything else.

But I want you to be encouraged. You can still control the garden of your mind. It just takes a little effort to stop those weeds before they get out of hand. And by weeds, I'm talking about those negative thoughts. Now here's where it really gets interesting.

As I said before, think of your mind as a garden. You know, the one you keep wishing you could make look like the ones in the gardening magazines. But also the ones that you haven't touched in a while and now there's more weeds than actual plants. Yeah, that mind.

So when we get into the nitty gritty of positive and negative thoughts, it's like that parable Jesus told about the sower, the seed, and the soil in Matthew 13. In this story, seeds are planted in different types of soil. Some take root and thrive, and others get choked out or eaten by birds. Well, our thoughts are like seeds in this garden of our mind.

Negative thoughts like weeds will sprout up all on their own. They don't need no help. You don't need to do anything for them to grow. They just show up. But for the good seeds, your positive thoughts, now that's a little different. Because you've got to actively nurture them. They need attention, care, and consistent love.

If you ignore them, they'll struggle to grow and you'll have a garden full of weeds, aka negative thoughts. Instead of that pretty garden with the flowers that's blooming all beautiful, yeah, you'll have weeds instead if you don't tend to the garden, if you don't pay attention and give it the care that it needs.

You have to do the same thing with your mind. Take care of it, nurture it, give it consistent care, consistent love.

And I'm here to tell you, let's be practical, let's be real. It's easy for negative thoughts to take root, especially when life gets overwhelming. It can be stress from work, challenges with family, feelings of self doubt. These negative thoughts will grow and spread if not addressed, but with positive actions, they can be uprooted.

Just like a stubborn weed in your garden, negative thoughts will hang around until you pull them out by the root. And if you leave them unchecked, they'll start to suffocate everything else. This is why I'm going to tell you how to resist negative thoughts. We're getting ready to get into it right now.

Resisting negative thoughts doesn't mean pretending they don't exist. It's not about ignoring or suppressing what you're feeling. It's about acknowledging the negative thought and then choosing to not let it control you. So how do we do that? Number one, acknowledge them but don't feed them. When a negative thought pops up, the first thing you want to do is acknowledge it.

Recognize it for what it is. For example, let's say you're feeling nervous about a big presentation at work. The thought comes into your mind. What if I mess up? What if they think I'm not good enough? Listen, instead of ignoring the thought or trying to push it away like it doesn't exist or it's not there, just say to yourself, Okay, negative thought!

I see you. I know you're here.

That's what you need to do. Acknowledging the thought takes away its power because you're no longer denying it exists. But here's the key. You don't have to feed it. Don't sit there and let it stew in your mind. You can literally say to yourself, That's not true. I am prepared. I am capable and I can handle this.

Listen my sister, you just don't let it take root and multiply. Uproot it. Okay? Uproot it. Let me give you a practical example. Let's say you are about to go on a date and your brain starts with, What if he doesn't like me? What if I embarrass myself?

Here's my advice. Instead of lettingyour mind spiral into a panic, stop and take a breath.

Tell yourself, hey, if he doesn't like me, that's his loss. Tell yourself, I'm awesome whether I get a second date or not. You see? Watch what happens. Suddenly that negative thought has no power and you feel much more confident walking into that date. Plus, you might even have a good laugh about how ridiculous it was to worry in the first place.

The second thing you want to do is challenge the thought. Start questioning that negative thought. If you're thinking, I'm not good enough, ask yourself, is that really true? What evidence do I have to support this belief? You see, most of the time you'll find that the thought doesn't actually hold up. It has no weight, it has no, um, truth to it. 

It's a lie from hell, from the devil. Maybe you've had success in the past. Maybe people have complimented you, or maybe you've worked really hard to get where you are. So when you challenge the thought, you often dismantle it and you are able to find a more balanced realistic way to think about it.

So here's a practical example again. Let's say you're feeling self conscious about your appearance before heading out with friends and the thought comes to mind "I don't look good enough to go out." "I'll probably be the odd one out."  Instead of accepting that thought ask yourself. Have my friends ever made me feel like I don't belong? Have they complimented me before or made me feel good about myself?

You see the truth is ladies your friends are excited to see you because they like you. Okay, it's not based on how you look.  By challenging the negative thought, you can remember that your worth isn't defined by how you look and you're already enough as you are. Your friends just want to have a good time with you.

That's it. The third thing you want to do is shift the focus. If you can't immediately find a way to challenge the thought, then shift your focus. Instead of letting your mind just spiral down the negative path, focus on something positive. Maybe take a deep breath. Do a quick meditation or listen to an uplifting song and how about this?

Read your Word. Get into the Bible. Study the word of God. The Word of God has always made me feel really really good. I mean when I focus on the Word of God and I read what's in the Bible. Oh my goodness! I just feel so good. Like I ain't got time to be nursing no negative thoughts when I'm in the Word of God. So I don't know what religion you're in. I don't know. It's not even about that. I'm not trying to throw my religion on you. I'm just speaking my truth and what helps me. The Holy Bible has always been my source of power, my source of joy, my source of getting me out of those really dark places. But I also want to tell you that you can also distract yourself by doing something that brings you joy.

Why not call a friend or go for a walk or dive into a good book? Do something that makes you feel good that gets your mind off of the negative thinking. The goal here is to stop feeding the negative thought with more attention. Shift your focus to something positive and you'll start to break the cycle.

Finally, number four, practice gratitude. Now this is one of my favorites. Negative thoughts thrive when you're focusing on what's wrong or what's lacking. Let me say that again. Negative thoughts thrive when you're focusing on what's wrong or what is lacking. Gratitude is the antidote. Gratitude is the solution.

When you actively practice gratitude, you force your mind to focus on what's right and what's good in your life. You could start a gratitude journal where you write down three things you're thankful for every day. Or just take a moment in the morning or before bed to think of one thing, one thing that made you smile that day.

Gratitude won't instantly make negative thoughts disappear, but over time it can shift your perspective and weaken the grip of negativity. So let's just say, As an example, you had a rough day, but instead of focusing on everything that went wrong, you could take a moment before bed to remember what went right.

Maybe your friends sent you a funny text to make you smile, or you finally figured out that recipe you've been trying for weeks. Maybe your mom called to tell you how much she loves you. Maybe your children called you to share some really good news that's going on in their life and they just wanted to share that with you because they know that you're going to be happy for them. Maybe you got a promotion. Maybe your pastor gave a really powerful sermon at church that really touched your heart. You see, ladies, gratitude allows your mind to shift from negativity to appreciation. And, you know, as soon as you start being grateful for the things that God is doing in your life, not just for you, but even for other people. Being happy for other people is a form of gratitude.

And when you start practicing gratitude, Genuinely practicing gratitude, you'll see that not every day is as bad as it feels in the moment. Let me say that again. Gratitude allows your mind to shift from negativity to appreciation. And soon, you'll see that not every day is as bad as it feels in this moment. Okay? So let's move on. Let me keep it moving. Let me keep it moving.

So how do you assist positive thoughts? Now these are the thoughts that remind you of your worth and um, of how much you've grown and of all the good things in your life. They're like the seeds in your garden that need attention and care to grow. Those are your positive thoughts. So the one thing I want you to do is to plant positive seeds every day. And this basically means that you're going to start your day with a positive thought.

Okay? It could be an affirmation, something you're looking forward to or a reminder of what you're grateful for. This is like planting a seed for the day. The more you do it, the more your brain gets used to focusing on the good. And this could be as simple as saying today is going to be a good day, or I'm proud of how far I've come.

Number two, nurture them with actions. Nurture your positive, thoughts with actions. Positive thoughts need to be nurtured by your actions because if you want to feel more confident, then you have to take actions that reinforce that belief. It could be working out, dressing in a way that makes you feel amazing or learning a new skill. You see, when you act in alignment with your positive thoughts, they grow stronger and more rooted. And then number three, you want to surround yourself with positivity. That means surrounding yourself with positive influences, whether it's people who uplift you, books that inspire you, or podcasts that motivate you, make sure you're feeding your mind with things that nourish your spirit.

So as I'm wrapping this up, coming to the finish line. As women of faith, we know that God has entrusted us with minds, hearts, and lives that He wants us to take care of. And just like He commands us to be good stewards of everything else He gives us, we have to be good stewards of our mind. And when we look at our thoughts as a garden, we can reflect on how scripture encourages us to renew our minds and focus on what is pure and good and true.

And I want to take you to Romans chapter 12 verse 2, where we are told, don't conform to the pattern of this world. God said be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So this transformation isn't something that happens overnight, but through consistent effort and God's help, we can choose to resist negative thoughts and assist positive ones.

You see, when negative thoughts creep in, I don't care if it's doubt, fear, or insecurity, ladies, we can remember that God's word has the power to uproot those lies. And I'm reminded in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 5 where it tells us that we have to take every thought captive. We gotta make it obedient to Christ.

And so when we do this, we are allowing, surrendering our thoughts to God so that He can shape our thoughts and guide us towards His truth. I never said it was going to be easy. I never said it was going to be an easy walk in the park. Oh, no But we can trust that God is with us. We can trust that He's helping us to fight the weeds and nurture the seeds of his promises. God doesn't lie. He keeps his word.

We are called to focus on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Listen, anything that is excellent or praiseworthy, that's what we're supposed to focus on. This is the kind of soil our positive thoughts need to thrive. So as you take care of your mental and emotional guard and remember that God is by your side, he's offering his strength and grace every step of the way.

And as we resist the negative thoughts that try to steal our peace and assist the positive thoughts that align with God's truth, we are creating a mind and heart that honors Him. And just like a garden that grows and flourishes with time, our faith and our thoughts, they will flourish as well. Because ladies, don't we want to produce fruit that reflects God's love and goodness?

Absolutely we do. So we have to keep trusting in His promises. And we gotta remember that with God, all things are possible. Even transforming our thoughts into something beautiful and filled with His peace, His love, His joy. So going into 2025, what we're going to do, we're going to plant positive seeds every day.

We're going to nurture those positive thoughts with actions. And we're going to surround ourselves with positivity. That's what we're going to do. So that's it  beautiful ladies. That's all I have. I love you, love you, love you with the love of Jesus. It's always a pleasure Um to come and do these episodes. Again, I'm just praying that this word is reaching millions of women across the globe. I pray that  my episodes, this podcast is just spreading like a wildfire and hope that you are helping me to spread the word. Share this podcast with other women who may need this. Don't be selfish. Make sure that you are sharing because there is a woman who needs to hear this whether you think so or not. So thank you for sharing in advance. I just want to wish you a very wonderful wonderful rest of November. I don't know if you're celebrating the holiday, Thanksgiving or anything like that But I do pray that you will have a blessed day in the Lord  and that He will cover you. He will protect you and your family. He will show you blessing and favor over every area of your life. Whatever you need from God, go to Him ask Him and believe and follow Him. Have faith that He will reward you as long as you believe that He's going to give it to you.

Don't doubt. Don't allow negative thoughts to come in and snatch that from you. But trust God and believe that He hears you. He loves you and He wants to care for you and provide for your every need So ladies, be blessed, be grateful, be kind to other people, be giving, be loving. And you and I will talk at a later time when I will come back with step number six.

We're going to be finishing this up soon. Okay. Two more steps, number six and number seven. So stay tuned. Okay. Until next time. Keep striving with faith. God bless you and I'll chat soon. Bye for now.