What Are You Thinking?

Be careful of what you think because your thoughts are very powerful! Our thoughts effect how we feel and they determine the kind of life we create.

When we create a thought in our mind, we also are creating a feeling to go with it. When we think happy thoughts, we feel happy. When we think angry thoughts we feel angry. Our feelings are a direct result of what we are thinking.

I recently conducted a “Workshop On Joy.” It was amazing to feel the energy in the room shift when participants were asked to think about things that bring them joy.

In another exercise the participants were asked to tell about a miserable situation that they had to “endure.” They were then asked to talk about the same situation in terms of how they might “enjoy” it. How did they do this? They had to change the way they were thinking. When you change the way you think, you change the way you feel.

The next time you experience an uncomfortable feeling, ask yourself, “What am I thinking?” Identify your thoughts, then change them. Even though this is simple, it is not always easy.

The best way to change a thought is to replace it with a new one. Here are a few suggestions:

1. I am perfect in the eyes of God.

2. I choose to find the good in others.

3. Everything happens for a reason.

Choose one of these or create one of your own. Once you’ve decided on a new thought, practice it. Have it ready for when those other thoughts come to mind.

Our thoughts are also like magnets that attract things into our lives. The things we think about show up. Have you ever found yourself thinking of someone you haven’t seen in a long time, only to see them the next day? Or maybe the phone rings, and it’s them. We commonly say, “I was just thinking of you!”

There is an experiment that you can do to test this out. First, choose an image to think about. Continue to think about it until you can visualize it. Then, let it go, and expect it to show up.

When I first did this experiment years ago, it was late into the fall and I thought of a sailboat. I purposely picked something “off season,” something I didn’t think I would normally see during that time of year. A couple of days later, I was shopping for stationary and I was almost spooked by the beautiful sailboat on the note cards in front of me.

The skeptical side of me rationalized that when you look through a shelf of note cards, you are bound to see a little bit of everything – including a sailboat. It wasn’t until about 30 seconds later when I turned the corner and was standing in front of a clearance table that I realized how powerful my thoughts really are.

The clearance table was of children’s toys. And there, in the middle of the table, sitting higher than any of the other toys was a toy sailboat. I have two children and I have seen my share of toys, but I had never seen that type of toy. And since then, I have never doubted the power of my thoughts.

Consider trying the experiment for yourself. If you are skeptical, try it anyway. You may have to do it a few times before you accept that it’s not a coincidence. Once you know the power of your thoughts, you’ll want to visualize bigger things, like the kind of life you would love to have!

Our thoughts not only effect how we feel, they affect our lives. It’s just as one of the participants told me after the “Workshop on Joy.” She said anticipating the workshop was a joyful experience for her. Ever since she started thinking about attending the workshop, she felt joyful and “joy” kept showing up in her life.

How are you feeling? What’s showing up around you? Choose your thoughts carefully. Your life depends on it!