Conflicting thoughts

Think of what you are doing at this moment. Now consciously place a new thought on top of it so that they both are occurring at exactly the same time. Are you capable of doing that? The inability to hold two thoughts simultaneously is outside the grasp of most of us. Our thinking tends to progress in a linear fashion with one thought following another. When we are having a thought that elicits positive emotions, it cannot be happening at the same time that we are having a thought that elicits negative emotions. The converse is also true. If this is so, then we need to focus our attention on maintaining positive thought as much as possible. When a negative thought occurs, notice it, and follow it with a positive. For example, if I am thinking, "I'll never figure this problem out," then I can follow it with "I need to take a break and open my mind to options to solve this situation since situations have a tendency to change." There is a shift in our emotions when we do this. We can move from desperation to hopefulness and joyful anticipation. Remember that our thoughts are one way that we attempt to place meaning on what is happening in our lives. That meaning can be based on our attitude and perspective at that moment. When we make a conscious shift in our thinking, we begin to experience life differently. What are the conflicting thoughts that you have and what can you do to focus on the positive aspects of those thoughts?