Did you know that most people have more than 60,000 thoughts a day? Well, experts estimate that as many as 80 percent of those thoughts tend to be negative, even if our intentions are good. All those little worries and judgments about ourselves and others can really start to add up.
The great news is that we always have options about what we choose to focus on within our minds. Here are nine important things to remember about your thinking and how it creates your reality:
1) Thoughts are like clouds; they come and they go.
2) We can and do choose the thoughts we focus on. When we have a thought, we have a few choices: we can focus on it; reflect and analyze; let it go; or simply choose a new one (frequently the best option). You can shift your attention from the dark and stormy clouds to ones with rays of light shining through.
3) Our thoughts are communicated in words and how we say them (to ourselves and others). We’re continually programming our mind with the way we talk inside our head.
4) Words and how we express them lead to feelings. So saying something excitedly to yourself like, “I’m willing to give this a go!,” is going to have a different impact than flatly or hesitantly thinking, “I guess maybe I’ll give it a try.”
The thought always comes before the feeling. Feelings don’t just pop out of nowhere. So if you start feeling negatively, stop and notice what you were just thinking about. Maybe it’s time to choose a new thought pattern.
5) Our feelings affect our motivation. Repeatedly thinking something like “I always mess things up” isn’t going to create a very inspired feeling. You might instead choose a different thought: “I know that I can accomplish what I set my mind to. It’s okay if I make mistakes during the process. That’s how we learn.”
6) Our motivation influences our actions. If you’re feeling down on yourself or believing that certain situations are hopeless, you may not see the point of expending much energy to effect positive change in your life. Attitude is everything! “I know I can be successful!”
7) The actions we take (or don’t take) lead to certain results (the reality we create for ourselves). So which thoughts will you focus on today? Maybe it’s time to allow the dark clouds to drift out of your mind, and let the sunshine in, beginning to create a brighter future for yourself.
8) Where our attention goes, the energy flows. Stop wasting energy dwelling on past mistakes and instead direct it on positivity in the present moment. The point of power is always in the present. Your positive thinking now will help generate the good feelings that motivate you to take productive steps to improve your life.
9) What we focus on flourishes. Therefore, start aligning your thinking with what you would like to experience burgeoning in your life. When you think about those things, imagine doors of opportunity opening instead of stumbling over obstacles.
“Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Every thought I think is creating my future. The Universe totally supports every thought I choose to think and believe. I have unlimited choices about what I think. I choose balance, harmony, and peace, and I express it in my life.” – Louise Hay
Note: The concepts in this article were stressed in my training at Hypnosis Institute International with Jane Ann Covington.
Mental cloud image by Lightwise
Copyright, 2013, Wellspring Reiki & Hypnotherapy