Thought shapes the reality of people’s lives
Published 2:50 pm Saturday, December 5, 2009
“Whatever a man thinketh, so is he.”
— Napoleon Hill
Some people have paused long enough to consider that we get to choose our thoughts. Are you one of them?
We may believe that thoughts just come to us, that we are stricken with them, good or bad. Unless we have an extreme mental disorder, this is not true.
Our thoughts determine our future, our quality of life. Thoughts become words, either to ourselves or to others. Words have creative power. We remember that God created the world through words. “And God said …”
In his book, “The Four Agreements,” Don Miguel Ruiz cautions “be impeccable with your word.” “Impeccable” means “without sin.” To be impeccable with our words means we watch what we say or think, so that we do not hurt others or ourselves. Who among us has not heard words like, “Boy, is he fat!” or “Is she ever a witch!” One only has to think of recent school shootings for poignant examples of what humiliation, making fun of, put-downs, and exclusion can lead to.
Many of us are aware of the social appropriateness of not harming others. However, fewer of us are conscious of the importance of not harming ourselves with our words. We may say things to ourselves like, “Oh, that was so stupid!” or “How could I have been so dumb!”
We may get angry with ourselves, sending negative energy inward, driving ourselves down, taking a grim outlook on our lives, even telling ourselves in our most depressed times, “There is no future for me.” This is a mistake. It is part of how we keep ourselves stuck. Words are creative energy. They cement us or move us, shackle us or free us.
Action step for this week: Watch what you say to others and yourself. Pay attention to what you think.
Are you taking responsibility to choose your thoughts? What are you choosing? What are you creating with your choices?
David Larson, licensed psychologist, is a life fulfillment coach. He can be reached at (507) 373-7913 or at his Web site, www.callthecoach.com.