Counteracting every negative thought with a positive one really works. Now, when a thought pops in my head, I recognize it as negative and say, "Stop!" instead of letting it run it's course. For example, at a restaurant, a negative thought crossed my mind, "Don't eat there, you'll get sick." I stopped the thought, immediately, and challenged it. "I've eaten here many times, over the years, and I have never gotten sick here once." That's all it took to be able to go in and enjoy my meal without wondering about it all night long. Also, in the car, when we were stuck, initially, the thought was, "Oh no!", again I stopped the thought by saying, "Everything's fine, you are safe, you are not trapped, it's just a temporary situation and you can handle it." I think the key, for me, is stopping the wild thoughts, as soon as I'm aware, and counteracting them with the truth, facts and the reality of whatever situation I'm in. Your mind is very powerful and you can talk yourself into and out of things by your words (positive or negative).
