It's bad enough that your job search has its ups and downs, all on its own. Add to that the knowledge that what you say to
yourself and
about
yourself
becomes
what you THINK about yourself.
So watch what you say
about
yourself TO yourself -- either silently OR out loud. Negative comments become negative thoughts that become embedded. Then they kill your energy and cause a “What’s the use of me even trying…” lack of action.
Sure, "positive thinking" is good, and there’s a lot out there you can read. But
affirmative
thoughts
and
positive
actions
are what gets you the next great job. (The next great
anything
, actually.)
Over the 20+ years of doing this work, I have seen people who remain positive GET the best jobs.
Thoughts, feelings, emotions, saying things, doing things are all related. If your thinking holds false beliefs like “There’s only so much so I’d better fight for mine” ("scarcity thinking"), you will BE limited.
Affirmative thinking
goes beyond “positive thinking” because it emphasizes “I am”, not “I will”.
Here are some examples
of 3 kinds of thinking: negative, positive, affirmative:
Negative thought
(Drains energy, feels hopeless)
“Nothing ever works out for me…that’s just my luck”
“There’s age discrimination... I’m just too old”
“I just want a job, any job. It’s a luxury to go after what I really want!”
Positive thought
(Adds energy, feels good)
“I will find an employer who’s looking for someone to mentor newbies”
“I’ve had successes, and will have more”
“I am looking for something specific, so it will take longer”
Affirmative thought
(Present tense = commitment to
being
and
doing
the positive)
“I have something to offer that’s unique to me AND which gives value to an employer”
“I deserve to have the right job for me, so I make good choices that will attract that job to me”
“There is a reason I’m available now, a reason I remain open to options"
Being affirmative will give you results, not just good feelings. As the quote, source unknown, says,
"The crowd makes way for the person who knows where he/she is going".
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