Your Thoughts Have Power
The other day I was thinking about how much time I spend thinking. I know, weird. Thinking about thinking … isn’t that called over thinking?
No, not really. I wasn’t analyzing or ruminating on my thoughts. I was observing them.
When you pay attention to your thoughts and what’s going on in your head, you will be in such a better place to take action.
When you pay attention to what’s going on between your two ears, you’ll feel more in control of your life and less a victim of circumstance.
I DON’T HAVE TIME TO THINK
There was a time in my life where I had so much to do, I felt like I didn’t have time to think. You may be experiencing that right now. I know that place! I lived in that place for a LOOOONG time!
You’re constantly reacting to what’s happening in life. You’re dealing with everything as it comes up and never really feel like you’re getting ahead at anything. This is what I imagine it’s like to be a firefighter. You’re running from one fire (problem) to another fire (problem) and just when you get those fires (problems) out … another pops up.
You feel like you don’t have time to think or doing anything outside of your regular routine. You’re surviving but not thriving. You have all these ideas of what you want to do, places you want to go, things you want to create and you keep telling yourself … someday. Now’s not the right time. I’ll do it someday.
I’LL DO IT “SOMEDAY”
Someday I’ll read that book.
Someday I’ll take that vacation.
Someday I’ll figure out what I really want.
Someday I’ll set some goals to get it.
Someday I’ll _______.
Have you ever noticed someday never comes? When you think you’ll do it someday … you never pick a day to actually do it.
The same thing happens when you feel overwhelmed. Have you ever noticed when you think you're overwhelmed because you have too much to do … you do nothing?
It’s the same thing with, I’ll do it ‘someday’ and you never pick a day to do it.
It’s these little sneaky thoughts that have a really big impact on our lives. They impact what we do, and more importantly, what we don’t do.
That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to your thoughts.
YOUR THOUGHTS ARE POWERFUL
Your thoughts create your feelings. Let me repeat that so it sinks in.
The only reason you feel a particular way is because of the thought you’re having.
Let me explain …
Let’s say your kid comes home from school and they got a 75% on their math test. What’s your reaction? How are you feeling?
Are you disappointed, frustrated or concerned
or
Are you relieved, encouraged and happy?
It all depends on your thoughts about the 75% grade on the math test.
The 75% on the math test is a fact. It’s the circumstance. It is what it is. It is neither good nor bad until you have thought about it. That thought is what is going to create a feeling of disappointment or relief.
If you are thinking … A 75% on a math test is not okay. That thought creates a feeling of concern.
If you think …My kid is better at math than a 75%, they didn’t try. That thought creates a feeling of disappointment.
BUT …
If you think … A 75% is a heck of a lot better than the 60% they got last week. That thought creates a feeling of encouragement.
Maybe you think … A 75% means they can still play in the game Friday night. That thought could create a feeling of relief.
In these examples, the 75% on the math test didn’t change. But you see how all the different thoughts you could have about that test created a bunch of different feelings about it?
Yup … your thoughts create your feelings.
That’s how the same exact thing can happen to two different people and they have two totally different feelings about it. Why? They have two different thoughts about it.
Take a look at the picture below. You have two people who both weigh 200 pounds.
The 200 pounds is the same but the thoughts are different which create different feelings.
Another example: Your boss tells your team at work … “I expect more from you.”
Everyone in that room is going to make that mean something different. They are going to have different thoughts about it.
One person may think … She’s right. I dropped the ball and feel embarrassed.
Another may think … What she’s talking about? I busted my butt on this and feel resentment.
While another may think … If you expect more, I’ll give you more and feel determined.
It’s not the boss saying … I expect more from you that makes you feel a particular way. It’s your thought about it. WHICH IS SO AMAZING! Because you are in control of your thoughts!
YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR THOUGHTS
You get to pick your thoughts. Every thought is optional. I know, mind blowing!
If it’s your thought that’s making you feel a way you don’t like, then it’s also your thought that can make you feel a way you do like.
THAT is why it’s so important to be aware of what you’re thinking and whether or not it’s serving you. Your thoughts are powerful!
If your thoughts are making you feel good and you’re taking all these positive actions because of them and you’re getting amazing results … then don’t change a thing!!!
But if you're thinking is creating all these negative emotions for you and you’re not taking action, or maybe you’re taking self destructive actions, you’re not going to like the results that creates for you. THIS is when you have to pay attention to your thoughts.
The circumstances or facts of life may be out of your control. That’s okay. Just because the circumstance wasn’t your choice doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice with your thoughts.
THE ONE TOOL THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
I teach my clients a tool called The Model. It was created by Brooke Castillo. The idea is everything in life can be put into one of five categories.
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The circumstance is the fact of the situation. Something you can prove. It’s neutral.
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A thought is a sentence in your mind about the circumstance.
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A feeling is a vibration in the body.
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Actions are what you do or don’t do.
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A result is what you are creating for yourself.
This one tool, The Model, changed everything for me. It allowed me to see what ‘I’ was creating in my life. So often I had felt like I was a victim of circumstance. I feel this or I’m doing this because that person did this or this happened to me. Once I realized MY thoughts were creating MY feelings, driving MY actions and creating MY results … I felt like I had so much control and freedom over my life.
Feelings determine the quality of life. When you take control of your life by taking control of your feelings, you take control of your experience of life.
The way you think about situations in life will determine your experience of them. The moment you know that is the minute you’re able to control yourself in any situation.
It all starts with your thoughts!
