That's a good sigh by the way. I'm in my office, using my computer and my wonderful ergonomic keyboard and I have plenty of light and it just feels good to be working in this space at this time.
Yep, contented...sigh.
I've been doing a fair amount of reading of late. Some "self-help" types of books. Been reading a lot on the internet too. One of the things the authors seem to have in common regards the power of our thoughts.
When our thoughts are negative, we send out negative waves or "vibes" as the hippies of the 60's used to say. The Bible tells us, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7).
When we think negative thoughts on a regular basis we become negative people. Psychologists and psychologists echo this sentiment on a regular basis. Self-help books expound this concept. Life coaches work to eradicate this sort of negativity.
Our thoughts have power, and we should be careful to mind how that power is used. I know a lot of us are very smart people, and we are busy trying to solve problems or make improvements at work or in our home lives. But so many times, we don't pay as close attention to our thought lives as we should.
Mundane everyday tasks war for brain time. We write lists, set goals, make schedules that get us through the every day living that needs to happen just to keep a roof over our heads. We aren't really thinking, we are reacting to the basics of survival in the twenty-first century.
I've often said to C that we are so very good at telling ourselves lies, why don't we lie positively. If we tell ourselves that we are fat, lazy, unmotivated we bring those things to fruition. Why can't we tell ourselves we are successful, busy and just right?
We have control over our thoughts. We have the power to literally speak things into being if we say them often enough, with belief and a dash of gratitude. There is also a measure of stubbornness there as well - you can't be willing to quit. To change negative thinking we can't give up. We must nip that negativity in the bud.
Rather than saying what's the use, I'll never get in shape, why don't we change that to something positive like I've come a long way at helping my body become healthier. Rather than concentrate on a nose we feel is too big, why don't we concentrate on the fact that we give a smile easily or that we have compassionate eyes.
The point is, we control our thoughts.
They are so powerful that sometimes we don't even recognize their strength. For instance, I was thinking about getting rid of some old furniture and replacing it with something smaller and newer. I've got a mismatched pair of love seats in my living room more than twenty years old that I really need to donate to the Salvation Army or some other organization.
I was just thinking about that yesterday. It would help to get rid of two large pieces of furniture.
Today, I got a phone call asking if I would like a love seat and stuffed chair. I know the set in question and the kind of shape it is in. My thoughts are bringing newer, cleaner, up-to-date furniture for my family room.
Some would call this a miracle, God providing what I need and want. There is certainly no such thing as a coincidence in my book, and the giver did not know about my desire to rid myself of the old and bring in something newer.
Years ago, I had the same thing happen with an artificial Christmas tree. I didn't have a lot of money to continue buying real trees back in those days. I thought about it, prayed about it (more thinking) and a short time later, after telling no one about it, a family offered me their artificial tree because they were replacing theirs.
The Rolling Stones had a song that went, "You can't always get what you want...but you just might find, you get what you need."
Thoughts are dynamos. They influence. The Apostle Paul stated in the letter to the Philippians, "Whatever is true, whatever us worthy, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely...if there is any virtue and excellence...think on these things." Sounds to me like a nice list of positive things to think about rather than negative.
Do we really want to spend our time thinking about lies and dishonor and ugliness? Yet we do - SO STOP IT!
A lot of people out there are trying to influence us to be intentional. That means being aware of our thoughts and emotions when we are doing something. It means to actually be thinking rather than doing an activity that is rote.
You know this is true. How many times have you driven the same route to work. Yet, aren't there times when you wonder how you got from point A to point B? How many times did you forget to do something on the way home because stopping on the drive is not part of your traffic ritual?
Those are examples of a lack of intention; a rote, blank space in our brain where thinking doesn't really occur because we are checked out.
Yes, we screw up, but that doesn't mean that we have to dwell on the mistake. We make it right to the best of our ability and try to think of how we can do better next time. We learn and grow from our mistakes. If we dwell on them, we don't get better we get bitter and filled with fear.
It takes a lot to give up negative thinking. We think others are judging us when they aren't. We think, why are they staring at me, did I say/do something wrong, when there is a much higher probability that they are thinking, wow, I could never stand up in front of a bunch of people and talk like that.