There is a mountain of hype around positive thinking. But have you noticed that positive thinking doesn’t, well, work? That’s because positivity is just an emotion, and at the end of the day it doesn’t change the reality of the situations we face. The Simple Shift turns positive thinking on its head and transforms it into something practical - a way of adopting beliefs that can change the way you see reality and make major obstacles into easily resolvable issues.
This book helps you develop the self-awareness to know when and how your thoughts are holding you back. Instead of just trying to ignore negative thoughts or pretend that problems don’t exist, why not actually change them, using useful thinking? Control your perception and start to turn your life around with The Simple Shift.
• Overcome life’s obstacles by transforming the way you perceive problems
• Discover why what’s “true” doesn’t matter as much as what’s “useful”
• Triumph when times are tough by adopting a simple shift in thinking
• Uncover the valuable lessons you've already learned by overcoming past challenges
This book provides a clear and practical path for retraining your brain to see opportunities rather than obstacles. It’s not about putting on rose-coloured glasses and pretending that problems don’t exist. Rather, you can choose to train your mindset towards what is useful, guiding you to better outcomes in life, love and work.
Table of Contents
About Chris Helder ix
Introduction xi
Transformation doesn’t usually work 1
Positive thinking doesn’t really work 3
This is the greatest time to be … anything 6
Times are tough, if you let them be 10
Life begins at 70 12
How to come up with useful beliefs 15
We all have our own reality 21
My reality 25
Focus on what you can control 27
The heart doesn’t judge 29
Energy is a decision 33
Life is full of challenges 37
Gratitude leads to greater things 42
Today is your launch pad 47
Useful thinking about tough decisions 49
Perfection gets in the way of an outstanding life 51
Guilt is not your friend 54
Forget work-life balance - it’s a swing 59
Living with making a living 61
Choose people who give you power 63
Fear vs anxiety 65
Avoid outside broadcasts 68
Your body reflects your mind 71
Keep your eyes open 73
It’s okay to smile 75
Some conclusions 79
A summary of useful ideas 89
A list of useful beliefs referenced in this book 93
