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YOU
ARE WHAT YOU THINK
THE POWER
OF THOUGHTS
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever
is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think
about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Thought has been the subject of many
wonderful books. My earliest exposure to the power of thought
was through James Allen's book, As a Man Thinketh. In this little
book the author reveals how your thoughts create harmony or
chaos in every aspect of life.
Thoughts affect us in a number
of ways. Thoughts are a vital tool in creating the reality we
experience. They create our emotional states. They affect our
bodies and, therefore, our health. Thoughts influence our responses
to life and our relationships. Thoughts determine our choices.
Take a moment to write down three thoughts
you have had today. Do not make this too complicated. Simply write
down three thoughts you have had in the last 24 hours. Any three
thoughts will do. Please do this before you read the next section.
It will help you to apply those ideas to your life. Record these
thoughts in your journal.
Categories of Thoughts
Thoughts can be divided into three broad categories: what I want,
or positive thoughts; what I can do, or action thoughts; what I don't
want, or worry thoughts. Most thought is about the future or the past.
Very few of us are able to stay centered in the present moment. For
the sake of clarity, let us assume I have an upcoming surgery that
is occupying most of my thoughts. If I am thinking about how fortunate
I am to have an excellent surgeon, I am thinking positive thoughts.
If I am thinking about the activities I need to do to prepare for
the surgery, I am thinking action thoughts. If I am thinking about
what can go wrong in surgery, I am thinking worry thoughts.
Worry Thoughts
If you were surprised to find most
of your thoughts were worry thoughts, you are not alone. Most
people are not aware of their thoughts. They go through the
day with uncensored mental programming playing in the background
of their minds. They experience feelings and reactions that
they do not understand.
They believe their emotions and thoughts
are something that happens to them; something over which they
have little or no control. Many people feel it is their duty
to worry. They adamantly defend their worry thoughts. They believe
that if they do not worry they have not done all they could
to prevent something negative from happening.
These people resist positive thoughts because
they see no value in them. In their mind thoughts cannot affect
the outcome of a situation, so why waste time thinking
positive. It is almost as if the negative thoughts are preparing
them for the worst possible scenario. For most worry thinkers, such
mental activity is learned behavior based on faulty information
about the power of thoughts.
Let us examine some of the premises
upon which worry thinking is based. Note which of the statements
listed below seem true to you. These may be some of the beliefs
out of which your worry thinking has developed.
My thoughts are a reflection of who I am. I cannot control them,
they simply happen to me.
You are not your thoughts. Thoughts
are an activity of your mind. You have the right and the responsibility
to choose your thoughts. Your thoughts are based on the things
you believe about the world. They are a perfect reflection of
your core beliefs, not your True Identity. At some point in
your life you accepted certain belief systems out of which your
thoughts are formed. You can change your beliefs and your thoughts.
Many of my thoughts are unconscious; therefore, I can not know
what they are.
Thoughts are readily available in
your mind. You may not easily see them because you do not consciously
listen to your thoughts. You allow them to play repetitively in
the background of your mind. When you focus your awareness on your
thoughts you will be amazed at what you spend your time thinking.
My thoughts have no effect on my emotions or the events of my life.
Emotion follows thought. If you are
thinking positive thoughts you will feel hopeful and uplifted.
Worry thoughts create fear and anxiety. Worry thoughts inhibit
the flow of energy blocking you from taking action in your life.
Positive thoughts stimulate activity, assisting you in transforming
your life. Worry thoughts keep you from seeing options, blinding
you to possible solutions to your problems. Positive thought
relaxes your thinking processes allowing you to see new ideas
and recognize opportunities.
The fear and anxiety caused by worry
thoughts will flow into your personal relationships, creating
discord and conflict. The joy caused by positive thinking will
improve every aspect of your life. Positive thought enhances
the body's immune system, while worry thoughts inhibit the body's
natural healing response.
If I do not worry, I have not done all I can to prevent disaster
from happening in my life.
As I mentioned earlier, worry thoughts
inhibit action. Action thoughts are fundamental to preventing
disaster. When you have taken all the action there is to do,
thinking positive thoughts is the most productive action you
can take. There is no positive benefit to worrying.
If I spend all my time thinking positive thoughts and disaster
comes anyway, I would have wasted my time.
I believe faith and positive thought create
positive events in your life; but, even if that were not true, thinking
positive thoughts has tremendous benefits for you.
Positive thoughts create healing, produce enjoyable emotions, and
reduce the stress in your life. Positive thought stimulates you
to look for solutions to your situation and increases the energy
you have to take action. Positive thought makes the journey worthwhile
no matter what the outcome.
Someone once asked Patricia Sun, a
spiritual teacher, what would happen when she died and found
out she was wrong about the philosophy of joy she was teaching.
Patricia laughed and said, “You mean what would I do if
I discovered I had been having all this fun for nothing?”
I am sure you can see the absurdity of the question!
If I don't worry, I won't be prepared for the worst possible
scenario.
If the worst possible scenario does
happen, you will have plenty of time to be upset when it arrives.
Spending months in anxiety does not prepare you for anything.
You can not pre-experience emotions caused by a disaster. Worrying
ahead of time will simply weaken you, limiting your natural
ability to cope with crisis or loss.
Thoughts As A Tool of Creation
If you want to learn to soar above
every situation in your life, you must learn to use your thoughts
to create the reality of your choice. Earlier we discussed the
way thought affects our emotions, responses, and our ability
to see options and take actions. Thoughts, combined with emotion,
create specific outcomes in your life. You can use thoughts
to create the events in your life and not simply to affect
how you respond to events life brings to you.
Thoughts combined with emotion are
fundamental to creation. When people first learn about the power
of thought, they fear every passing thought. It is not random
thoughts which create your reality; it is those thoughts you
predominately have which produce such a powerful effect in your
life.
Creating reality with thought is similar
to the process of hypnosis. You must focus all of your attention
on the thoughts of what you want to create. Combined with an intense
feeling, your thought goes forth to produce what you desire.
Marty Varnadoe Dow, LCSW
A Spiritual Oasis of Free Inspirational Resources
http://ifcl.com
PS. For more information on how to use thoughts to
change your life see How
To Soar Above The Crisis Course : a complete system for using
crisis as a catalyst for spiritual transformation.
Please leave your comments.........
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