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I am feeling very positive today.
Perhaps watching the Republic Day parade on television and going back in time when as an eight-year-old, my parents took me and my sister to Raj Path to watch the parade live has something to do with it. I still remember the fly past and flower petals.
Lucky me, I caught one. I wonder if it still the same and some little child today shared my childhood glee. Happy memories lead to happy thoughts and then to positive thoughts – all karmically connected!
SO, I am feeling very positive today and challenge you to accept my 7 Day Positivity Challenge.
In essence, the challenge requires you to stay positive for 7 consecutive days and banish all negative thoughts.
If you are thinking along the WIIFM track (What’s In It For Me), then read on!
It will assist you in overcoming your limiting beliefs that are holding you back and help get rid of your Gremlins for once and for all.
Self-help yourself by letting your mind find empowering alternatives and imprint them in your memory.
Make your life truly exceptional by focusing on the positive solutions rather than on the constraints that challenge you.
Replace old worn-out habits and fears with new empowering habits and expectations that will help change your life- for the better.
This challenge is based on a pamphlet written by Dr Emmet Fox (1886-1951) called “The Seven-Day Mental Diet” and is mentioned in Anthony Robbins must-read book “Awaken The Giant Within“.
If you are ready to let go of limiting and destructive thought patterns and replace them with regenerating ones, then here are the rules:
- For 7 consecutive days you must not allow yourself to dwell for a single moment on any kind of negative thought. Think of it as a mental diet where you re refraining from partaking any negativity.
- If you break any of the other rules, you must start the 7 days all over from the beginning.
- You cannot focus on a negative thought or remain in a negative emotional state for more than five minutes. Ideally, the time should be much shorter but until you become mindful of the negative thought creeping up on you, five minutes will do. This gives you enough time to recognize what’s going on and put a stop to it. Remember, even one instance of lingering for more than five minutes means starting over.
- You must focus on solutions. When the negative thoughts start, the idea is to immediately start contemplating possible solutions. Spend your time solving your challenges instead of focusing on them.
Perhaps you feel that worrying is helping you in some way? The Seven Day Positivity Challenge will help you differentiate between the woods and the trees.
Easy as it sounds, it is often difficult to give up negativity.
Dr. Dennis Gersten. Dr. Gersten, a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology mentioned in a radio interview in 1998 that his research indicated that the average person runs about 15,000 thoughts per day in which at least half of those are negative – 7,500 negative thoughts in a day!
Imagine the impact on our health and ability to function since we know that our thoughts turn into our emotions and our emotions turn into physical and mental health problems!
In more recent times, world renowned researcher Dr. Barbara Fredrickson discovered that experiencing positive emotions in a 3-to-1 ratio with negative ones helped people to become more resilient to adversity and success in achieving what they wanted from life.
Positivity was the key.
80% of Americans fell short of the ideal 3-to-1 positivity ratio and I am sure that the story is repeated elsewhere too where people are unable to think positively. You can learn more in her book Positivity.
When you’re faced with a negative thought (and there will be many!), the best response is to think to yourself, “How can I solve or improve this challenge?”
The point is to immediately begin focusing on solutions. When you ask a good question, you’ll receive good answers.
If you still find it difficult to keep negative thoughts at bay, consciously ask yourself the following positive questions to refocus your attention:
- What’s great about today?
- What do I like the most about this?
- What am I most proud of?
- What am I most looking forward to?
Over the coming 7 days you will get into the habit of immediately recognizing a negative mental state and then focusing on solutions for what you feel negatively about.
If you continue the process after the 7 days are completed, you’ll develop a permanent habit that will only require a minimal amount of maintenance.
The challenge sounds easy, but you might need several attempts to complete the full 7 days. It is normal to have slip ups; after all you are changing old habits and replacing them with new ones.
Refrain from being hard on yourself and remember to keep your focus on solutions.
Karmic Ally Coaching Recommended Tools to practice a Positive Mindset
There are 4 tools that can help you win the 7 Day Positivity Challenge.
The first is keeping a Gratitude Journal to assist with your challenge. Note down at least 3 things that went right during the day and for which you are grateful. Putting it in writing acknowledges the good in your life and helps with the sub-conscious change in attitude.
The second is measuring your Positivity Ratio. Click here to take Dr. Fredrickson’s 2-minute on-line quiz and see how you score.
The third is using the exercise Step out of your comfort zone by examining your beliefs available in my free eBook Self Improvement Strategies – the Karmic Ally Way. (Click to claim the eBook and it will be delivered in your inbox – pronto).
The fourth is to work on your mindset for growth and success.
Update November 2023 We’ve added Positive Thinking Secrets to our list of tools!
Click here or on the image below to get it.
When your 7 Day Positivity adventure is completed, DO come back and share your results with us!
PS. The one book that I recommend everyone read at some point in their personal development journey is Awaken The Giant.
Written By: Vatsala Shukla
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Between Covid and the death of a close friend, this has been a challenge since the spring. However The friend who died was probably the single most joyful, positive people I have ever met. When it became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to visit the hospice, I taught her to FaceTIme. And FaceTime we did — sharing many of the tools you list. We spent a lot of time talking about our gratitude, both for our friendship and hte many other blessings in our lives. I’ve been slowly processing that grief, primarily by staying focused on gratitude. Thank you for your post.
I’m happy and grateful you were there for your friend, Andrea. I faced a similar sad news recently when a friend of 26 years passed away losing her fight to lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain within 7 months of her diagnosis. We were based in different countries and she was away from her family. Again one of the most positive people I have known with a love for life that cannot be described. After grieving for her untimely death, I’ve decided to honor our friendship by celebrating her life and the time we had. Thank you for your comment.