What we experience at any given moment in time is always the affect of what we think. And what we think directly influences how we feel and how we behave on a daily basis. Many of us however do not realise just how powerful our thoughts can be.
We are a product of our thoughts, no matter whether they are spontaneous or deliberate. At the same time, they can also be positive and negative. However, negative thoughts are always the result of wrong thought in some direction. They mostly indicate that we are out of harmony with ourselves. Such thoughts and other thought distortions are often at the root of our problems, disappointments and feelings.
Thought distortions may overtime, modify our belief systems and attitudes towards ourselves and people around us. Although difficult, we can always change our thoughts, and nurture ourselves with thoughts that work for us and not otherwise.
Your thoughts shape your vision. You see what you choose to see
Anonymous
Psychology of thought
We are all engaged in a continuous internal dialogue with ourselves. And the meaning we draw out of our day to day lives and emotional associations keep triggering our thought cycles, where one thought triggers the next, without us being consciously aware of the process. We also happen to give shape to our desires in the form of a thought. Thus we tend to contribute towards the creation of every condition in our lives with our internal thought process.
Thoughts become an integral part of our inner wisdom and influence our every choice and decision. But when we get caught up in negative thought cycles, triggered by emotions and feelings, we begin to compare, criticise, form opinions, and judge.
Our minds like to throw lots of such thoughts at us all the time. In our default mode, our mind hops from one thought to an other creating toxic thought cycles. Such unhelpful negative thoughts can create toxicity reflecting unhealthy comparisons between an ideal and reality.
However, negative thinking is a survival strategy our minds come up with, that constantly activates the body’s survival response. Such feelings are natural way of dealing with issues and other stress situations.
Your thoughts have consequences
Every thought has its consequences. Whatever has or had not happened in your life is because of the choices you have made so far. And so you have the power to create more of what you want to, what you say ‘yes’ and what you say ‘no’ to.
But a thought, however, doesn’t exist in isolation and is influenced by past experiences. And it takes the shape of a habit, belief or an attitude. Like positive thoughts and actions can never produce bad results.
Similarly, negative or bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. And so is a thought which is held long enough and repeated enough becomes a belief. And when thoughts go unguarded, they can lead you down a negative path of wrong perceptions, assumptions and biases.
For instance, impure thoughts turn into habits of dishonesty, thoughts of fear or doubt solidify into circumstances of failure, and indecision. And thoughts of future solidify into stress. Unpleasant thoughts of past turn into rumination, guilt or sadness. Pure thoughts on the other hand increase our resilience, create peace and freedom. More negative a thought becomes, more are the chances of making bad choices and this can further sabotage your efforts of creating the life you would dream of.
Your thoughts determine your circumstances
Any thought if persists, be it good or bad, affects our character and our circumstances. This does not mean that your circumstances determine who you are, but however, they are the result of what you have thought. Since your circumstances grow out of your thoughts, you are the the cause either consciously or unconsciously of your circumstances. So it is suffering or freedom, pleasant or unpleasant, we ourselves are the cause of our circumstances.
We cannot however directly choose our circumstances because we are always growing and evolving. In the face of obstacles, unconsciously we tend to revolt against the effect, rather than the cause. Whereas in real sense, we ourselves are nourishing its cause, or encouraging thoughts that is causing the problem. But the moment you realise you are the one who is creating, you realise the power you hold over your circumstances.
When you realise you can directly influence yourself positively to create more of what you want, you cease to consider yourself as the victim of outside conditions. This however doesn’t mean that you have to be hard on yourself to think only good though. Because no one can do way with every impure or bad thought that comes to mind. But developing an ability to distinguish between what is right and wrong goes long way.
We are all engaged in a continuous internal dialogue in which the meaning and emotional associations of one thought triggers the next, without we being consciously aware of the process. We launch our desires in the form of a thought and they are an important part of our inner wisdom. A thought held long enough and repeated enough becomes a belief. We shape our lives by the choices made around these beliefs and build our identity without even realising it.
Aligning your thoughts with purpose
Those of us who have no purpose in our life, fall an easy prey to unnecessary worries, fears, and troubles. Until and unless we link our thoughts with a legitimate purpose, we cannot set out to accomplish anything substantial.
Without aligning your thoughts to a central purpose, you kind of drift away from your goals and objectives. We go in the opposite direction because of negative emotions and feelings, where we begin to compare, criticise, form opinions, and make judgments that can be detrimental to our well-being.
Putting away aimlessness and to begin to think with purpose not only provides meaning, but also builds the strength of character. It eliminates fear and doubt and in a way becomes a creative force to create more of what you want.
To begin to think with purpose, is to recognise that thoughts of doubt and fear always lead to failure. Thoughts allied with purpose leads you to become something higher and stronger than a mere bunch of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. They become a road to better self-control, resilience and focus.
In other words, our suffering and happiness is evolved from within. And as we think, so we become. So, in order to achieve anything meaningful, one must lift their thoughts above by aligning with a higher purpose rather than get limited by the thoughts of aimlessness.
To-do:
By changing your thoughts you can change your reality. All that we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result of our own thoughts. Be it weakness or strength, pure or impure, they are brought about by ourselves, and not by another, and so can be altered by ourselves, never by another.
You have the power to use your thoughts to rewire your brain to positive pathways. So rather than trying to stop thinking, train yourself to a habit of thinking the sort of thoughts you want which help you make better choices.
We shape our lives by the choices made around beliefs and build our identity around them. Set goals in different areas of your life to improve the quality of choices you make.
When aligned with a meaningful purpose. And even those of us who are not prepared for a great purpose, focusing your thoughts upon the performance of your duty to the best of your ability, no matter how insignificant the task may appear leads to strengthening off your mind.
Be watchful of your thoughts. Through effort and practice, you can make your negative thoughts strong by aligning with a positive purpose and through right thinking. With conscious effort and watchfulness, you can keep them in harmony harmonious with your desires and get the thoughts work for you and not against.
Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.
sscascades.com 