Toxic waste consists of words, thoughts, sounds, images, and emotions that are harmful.  They damage your heart and mind and make it more difficult to live as a positive person.  Toxic waste forms the heart and soul of cognitive distortions.  Although the highest concentration of toxic waste is found in the media – music, television, and the movies – it abounds in other areas of our materialistic, performance-oriented culture.

1.  Toxic waste isn’t the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  It’s half- truth, or distorted, twisted versions of the truth.  It’s oversimplified spin-doctored truth.  It’s the fifteen second sound and video bite that pretends to be the truth.  Although it may not be a bold-faced lie, it’s a misrepresentation of the facts designed to influence, persuade, mislead, or even outright deceive.

2.  Toxic waste isn’t noble.  It doesn’t elevate people or lift them up to a higher plane.  It brings them down debasing them as their life sinks to a lower level.

3.  Toxic waste isn’t right.  It’s off-center, off-color, and not spot on.  It’s not what the doctor ordered and isn’t what needs to be said or done at the present time.  It’s inappropriate for who you are, where you are going, and what you want to do with your life.

4.  Toxic waste isn’t lovely.  It doesn’t fill your heart and mind with love.  Thoughts and emotions that are unloving are toxic, and the more of them you experience, the more harm is done.

5.  Toxic waste isn’t excellent.   It doesn’t bring out the best in you, and it moves your life in the direction of mediocrity.  It siphons off your excellence and prevents you from being the best you can be.

6.  Toxic waste isn’t pure.  It’s adulterated.  When it gets inside, it sullies your character and takes you down.  It creates inner pollution that clouds your vision and dulls your hearing.  It reduces your ability to see God at work in your life and makes it harder to hear God’s voice of love.

7.  Toxic waste isn’t admirable.  When you stand back and look at it, admiration doesn’t well-up inside.  There’s nothing in it to admire.  That doesn’t mean it’s disgusting; it’s just not something that fills your heart with admiration.

8.  Toxic waste isn‘t worthy of praise.  You can’t recommend it to your family and friends because at its heart, it really isn’t worthwhile.  It’s unworthy of your time, your effort, and of who you are.

Toxic waste never makes your life better, and always makes it worse.  It creates inner pollution, and if you let it accumulate, you experience an inner holocaust that annihilates your dreams.  There is no limit to how bad your life can become when toxic waste fills your heart and mind.

Excerpt from :

Zero Tolerance To Negative Thinking : Good-by Depression - Hello Positive Mind

David J Abbott M.D.