By KANISA GEORGE

The new year brings with it a magical, almost unrealistic air. It's as if the ills of the days gone by have all but disappeared, and we are left with a blank canvas to paint a new reality. As a new day dawns, we all must grapple with the many changes ahead and find new and inventive ways to address them. Whether it be a change in perspectives, mindset or vehicles, whatever we do now impacts the life we'll live tomorrow.

With that in mind, many of us cannot reach our full potential because we're bombarded by self-doubt, negative thinking and the good ole imposter syndrome. These mammoth-sized monsters live in our subconscious being, and without realising, we allow them to dominate our thoughts which then become actions and eventually our way of life.

Tantamount to habits, these negative thoughts, just like excessive drinking or gambling, get in the way of reaching our full potential and damages the view we hold of ourselves and our place in the world.

Several studies show that one negative thought constantly fed over time can permanently influence how we see ourselves. In fact, most women would admit that they experience self-destructive thoughts stemming from negative emotions and more expansive societal views nurtured over time. Instead of using our shortcomings as building blocks, we use them as weapons against ourselves and undermine ideas of self-actualisation.

According to psychologist Carl Rogers, self-actualisation is the continuous lifelong process whereby an individual's self-concept is maintained and enhanced via reflection and the reinterpretation of various experiences. These experiences enable the individual to recover, change and develop. For a person to achieve self-actualisation, they must be in a state of consensus with themselves, which occurs when a person's "ideal self" agrees with their self-image.

To reach your full potential, having a clear picture of the negative habits that feed into your self-esteem, thoughts and self-awareness is crucial. By learning what these habits are, you'll be one step closer to breaking them and living a life fuelled by purpose and positive thinking.

Research suggests that about 95 per cent of our thinking is habitual, and up to 80 per cent of that thinking is negative. And while a life filled with rainbows and lollipops is often touted as the ideal way to live, having a negative thought process is the brain's way of keeping us safe.

Negative thinking grants us the ability to see the potential dark side of people, ideas, places, and things, which provides us with tools to respond to them in a realistic and self-protective manner. Negative thoughts are the brain's way of storing information in the event of danger to protect us in the future. This is also true of thoughts about ourselves. For example, if you believe that you're not 'good enough, your brain will look for evidence that you aren't, so you don't risk your emotional or physical safety.

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