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����A few years ago, I was horrified when I stepped on the scale and saw that my weight had skyrocketed. The arrow flew past its usual mark, indicating a number much higher than anything I had ever seen before. At the time, I thought I had only put on a few extra pounds, but I was sorely mistaken. I was at the heaviest weight in my entire life. And this made me miserable.

��������Beleaguered by my own unhappiness, I constantly fed (and not just food) into my own miseries. The more negative thoughts I had about how I looked, the lower my self-esteem plummeted. The stress caused me to binge eat, which quickly became a vicious cycle: every time I felt down about myself, it added on additional weight.

��������To shift my focus away from the weight I had gained, I altered other parts of my body. These alterations temporarily made me feel better about myself. I bleached and colored my hair multiple times, I got some tattoos, and next on my list was a belly button piercing.

��������As I eagerly stepped into the piercing shop, I held out hope that this temporary solution would bring with it some solace. I picked out my charm and I was so excited to get pierced. The piercer was ready, and she told me to lift up my shirt. After a few minutes of closely observing my stomach, she sadly informed me that the piercing had a high chance of being rejected. In other words, I was too overweight to get a belly button piercing.

��������But instead of taking this embarrassing exchange as a hit to my ego, I saw this as the greatest opportunity to do better for myself. I could have easily seized this moment to further feed into my self-deprecation. But I did not. At that very moment, I made a vow to myself that I would never be miserable again.

��������The next time I looked in the mirror, I visualized a future, healthier me. I basically envisioned something that did not yet exist, and I believed that this future version of myself was my present reality. Some may criticize this as being “unrealistic” or “delusional”, but I believe it can be achieved with resolve and dedication. This philosophy of life is one of the most powerful tools known to mankind. Most of us do not know how to apply this to our own life. This is where I come in.

��������With roots that reach back centuries, this school of thought is nothing new. The enormously popular book titled The Secret by Rhonda Byrne provides a detailed explanation on the topic. She explains that “positive energy attracts positive things into your life, governs your thinking and actions, and how you can use the power of positive thinking to achieve anything you can imagine.” 1 And it works!

��������Here is a comprehensive guide on how to make the most of this technique in your everyday practice: To begin with, it is essential to pay more attention to your optimistic thoughts. During the day, you can keep reminding yourself of positive affirmations such as “I have done my best today” or “I am so proud of myself and what I achieved". Secondly, you must believe in the thoughts that you tell yourself. Have you heard of the phrase "fake it until you make it"? Well, this is exactly what I suggest doing when trying to create a new habit or mindset. Lastly, any negative thought that appears in your mind should be a) noted and b) released. Think of it as though a piece of dust landed on your shoulder; you simply brush it away with no fuss whatsoever.

��������Rhonda Byrne writes that every thought that you have “is a real thing – a force.” 1 As Buddha says, “All that we are is a result of what we have thought.” As a result of my “delusional” way of thinking, I took action to remain on the right track. With improved eating habits, daily exercise sessions at the gym, more reading and studying, as well as nurturing important relationships in life - success was not far away. Of course, I am not claiming that my positive affirmations alone brought me success. There is no such thing as an easy fix. Positive affirmations were the catalyst that propelled me to keep moving forward with my positive decisions.

������Do you believe that manifestation is plausible? I'm convinced that it was my own thoughts and attitudes which ultimately led me to becoming a better version of myself. If, however, this still doesn't sound quite believable—I understand. Some things are best experienced in order for one to truly believe; or else they must be thought into existence before we can witness them in real life.

��������To conclude, my personal journey of weight loss and self-discovery has taught me the incredible power of positive thinking. By focusing on positive affirmations, believing in myself, and releasing negative thoughts, I was able to transform my life and reach my objectives. It was not always easy, and there were times when I questioned the effectiveness, but my perseverance paid off in the end. I urge everyone to remain open-minded and consider the potential effects on their own lives. With our thoughts and actions, we have the power to shape our own destinies and create the life we desire.

A message from Thrive: If you are struggling with negative thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, and feel overwhelmed, please consider contacting CAPS at
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561-297-2277

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Works cited:

1 Byrne, R. (2016). The Secret . Simon & Schuster.