So….. Whatcha Thinking About?
The thought of bearing all the troubles of the past, the troubles of the future AND troubles that have yet to happen is a certain type of death. Fortunately, we control our minds and, thereby our thoughts. It isn’t as though some mystical little voodoo priestess controls us from an island in the South Pacific (or anywhere else for that matter).
We can decide the thoughts we’ll entertain and we can just as easily chase away the thoughts we refuse to entertain. Thoughts that are coated in fear and deep fried in anxiety are what that I call “poisonous thoughts.” Life’s too short and far too beautiful to spend any time whatsoever with these types of thoughts. It would make as much sense as filling a glass with Tide and guzzling every drop. The hideous effect that it would have on your stomach is similar to the effect “poisonous thoughts” have on your mind.
Have you ever known anyone who spent far too much time thinking? They can’t seem to find anything constructive to do with their minds for the life of them! So they sit and dwell on things they wish were different. Usually this means sending their thoughts into other people’s lives and focusing on things they wish were different about them. Wow, how productive is that?!?!
A lot of times you can tell a family member has been doing this very thing when you walk in and instead of saying, “Hi!,” they get an accusing look on their face and demand, “So, why DO you buy only name brand food? There’s nothing in the world wrong with off brands.”
Been there. Answered with a straight face, “Because we have more money than we know what to do with.”
You and I are not what we eat; we are what we think. – Walter Anderson
Always, always, always keep a close eye on your thoughts. Whether your thoughts tend to think about problems in the past or problems you think you may one day have – keep reminding yourself to stay in the present.
Know this: Your thoughts set the stage for the production you call life. They determine so much! For one thing, they determine how many people will want to share center stage with you and how many will exit stage right the minute you show up. Your thoughts also determine how your production (life) will play out. They can either give you an edge, or push you over one. So the minute a poisonous thought pops up on the scene, grab a hook and pull it off the stage. The longer you let it wander around, the more likely it is to think it’s part of the cast.
Choose your thoughts carefully. Make your thoughts the kind of thoughts that make your world brighter and happier. What’s the use of having any other kind of thought? Think about it.
Never bear more than one kind of trouble at a time. Some people bear three – all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. – Edward Everett Hale
More Quotes About Thought
Linda says
I think Napoleon Hill was one of the first individuals to popularize the power of your thoughts especially in his book “Think and Grow Rich”. Here are are few of my favorite Napoleon Hill quotes on the topic of the power of your thoughts:
“Life reflects your own thoughts back to you.”
~ Napoleon Hill
“Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we hold in our minds, and, by means with which no person is familiar, these ‘magnets’ attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.”
~ Napoleon Hill
“What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
~ Napoleon Hill
For more great Napoleon Hill quotes, see:
http://www.inspiration-oasis.com/napoleon-hill-quotes.html
Arjhae Nicol says
Awesome blog, yeah our thoughts reflects what and who we are. We have to be optimistic and at the same time enthusiastic. Well, bearing three problems at the same time can lead to depression so you can always take it one step at a time.
Shaun says
I know someone who has a serious problem with anxiety, where she will dwell on the most minute possibility that something bad “could” happen somewhere in the distant future. It’s so bad that she will lose sleep, and it will completely ruin her life for weeks or months at a time. When her fears are eased or proven false, she quickly replaces them with fear regarding something else. This is a great read that perfectly addresses her situation. I think I will refer this article to her. Thank you!
Arjhae Nicol says
Bringing thought in life was like being exist in the world. Sharing it with others is a big plus, so they do have back whenever you’re talk back again for conversation. It’s like a mind-opener, having thought a day is like saving you everyday and a lesson to cherish.
Carol Round says
Hi Joi,
I really like this post! It reminds me of my faith and my prayer journal. Through writing about the tough times I’ve gone through and the struggle it sometimes is to remain positive, I can lift up my troubles to the Lord, who takes them from the burden they are on my shoulders onto His.
Thanks for this reminder to think positively!
Tony Lum says
Thanks for the insights, its really helpful! 🙂