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Practical tips help us tap into knowledge and use it in an efficient way, while inspiration triggers our spirit and energizes our efforts. Today, as we talk about the power of the human mind and gratitude’s impact on it, we will cover some of both. Thanksgiving is one of life’s greatest success secrets. 

Do you feel a sense of peace and purpose, or do you feel as if something is lacking in your life? Your mindset determines your outlook—negativity can destroy our dreams. 

In this episode, Anita tells the story of Nick Sitzman, who by multiple accounts froze to death, triggered by the power of his own mind. 

Those who focus more on the positive, statistically achieve much greater results. But this does not mean you should beat yourself up for those fleeting negative thoughts that happen to all of us. Simply consider what you do with those thoughts when they come—do you wallow in them, or allow them to control you? Or do you take them captive, and refuse to let them stay rooted in your head? 

It’s not whether you’ll have a negative thought or not, it’s what you do with the thought when it appears. 

Don’t toss out really good information because you have a bias or prejudice. So for instance, when Anita shares Philippians 4:8 from the Bible, even if you don’t believe it comes from God, consider what it says. “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that excellent and praiseworthy.” (NLT) 

One of Anita’s dream tending secrets is taking biblical scripture and applying its relevancy to her life today. With this scripture, she takes her negative thoughts captive and asks herself, What are the facts in this situation and what are my feelings? How can I fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable in my current situation?

Focusing your mind on gratitude can transform your thinking and provide you with peace—allowing you to make more objective and wise decisions. You can save your dreams by closing your eyes and considering the following:

• What verifiable evidence do I have to support my current thinking?
• Are my assumptions and opinions true?
• How are my feelings affecting my confidence?
• Are my dreams solely about me, or have I considered how I might affect others?
• Am I practicing gratitude or getting stuck in a perception of lack?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself achieving your dreams. What does this look like for YOU? 

Don’t let thoughts like, I can’t make my dream come true. What I want couldn’t happen for me. Don’t entertain the thoughts that tell you your dreams can’t come to life. Don’t destroy your own dreams, don’t kill them, before they have a chance to sprout and grow. Do the uncomfortable, the scary, the awkward—take a chance and risk for your reward. 

Filling Needs:

• Are you allowing your thoughts to run wild or are you acknowledging them and taking the negatives captive?
• If you haven’t tried, who says your dream won’t work? 
• What’s the worst that could happen if you turn your negativity upside down, and consider the opposite of what your fears, confusion, and anxious thoughts tell you?

This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:

• Give of yourself by volunteering with agencies like Convoy of Hope or Reach Beyond. Be grateful you can partner your efforts with those of others to make a difference in the world. 

• Spend regular amounts of time with people who are likely lonely. The elderly, the sick, the downtrodden. Be thankful you can pour good things into the lives of those less fortunate. 

• Speak to God and thank Him for your dream.  

• Thank and speak gratitude for your dream, versus focusing on fears. 

• Exercise faith—believing and speaking before you can see. Dare to believe.  

• Be grateful you can do your dreams scared. 

• Exercise gratitude that you can learn new things.  

• Practice thanksgiving that you have the ability to do something progressive every day. 

• Pay attention to what you are saying to yourself about your dreams. Don’t let yourself to wallow in the negatives, instead, focus on the true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable about your dreams. 

• Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie19 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.

Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.