“You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. -James Allen
The human thought process is intricate and amazing! From thoughts creativity and achievement flow. Yet thoughts can also fill us with discouragement, paralyzing our progress. Because thoughts are so powerful, it is beneficial to learn to “lasso” our thoughts to keep them focused in the right direction.
Thoughts stem from three basic sources:
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Information taken in – either true or false
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Opinion – mine and others
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Feelings – based on reality or imaginations
Information is all around us and we take it in constantly. The information can be true or false. It can be something we purposely learn or something that is passively placed in our mind. It is certain that anything we allow ourselves to see or hear and every circumstance that touches our lives does contribute to the thinking process.
Opinions help shape our thoughts. The opinions of others – what they believe or how they feel about issues – those things enter our thought process. Additionally, my own opinions will either contrast or blend into those of others. No matter the source, opinions definitely contribute to the thought process.
Then feelings come alongside and add even more complexity to the process. Feelings can stem from reality or imaginations. They can be intense or mild. Feelings can be fleeting or constantly present. Feelings can remain the same or change in an instant. Feelings can have solid explanations or come from nowhere and confuse our thoughts.
Added to the mix are certain thought tendencies unique to each individual. For the most part, the natural inclination for many people is to think more negative thoughts than positive thoughts. Here are some of those tendencies:
- Fearful thoughts
- Worried thoughts
- Guilt filled thoughts
- Blaming thoughts
- Angry thoughts
- Greedy thoughts
- Pride filled thoughts
- Obsessive thoughts – not able to let go of a certain thought
- Runaway thoughts – one thought builds on another and spirals out of control
With all these components weighing heavily in our thought process, it might seem that we have no control or that there is no way to harness our thoughts. Yet, I believe that there are some suggestions that are helpful:
- Be aware of all input – make sure to choose some positive input each day
- Apply the filter of truth – challenge the false or misleading information and choose to believe what you know to be the truth
- Replace old thought patterns with new – purposely choose to set aside the negative thoughts as soon as they enter your mind and find something positive to dwell on
- Pray specific scripture concerning your thoughts – find verses that are uplifting and helpful to you and ask the Lord to help that truth become a reality in your life
These ideas have proven to be beneficial to those who want to”lasso” their thoughts. The steps are not complicated, but they don’t come easy. There must be a purposeful decision moment by moment to take thoughts captive. When we do, we find ourselves living a happier, more productive life.
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