Stop the ‘Stinkin Thinkin’
Thoughts are Powerful Things
The words we use every day to explain our thoughts and how we are feeling, show up in how we act and play in our personal and professional life.
This is not a new idea, in fact, Prentice Mulford wrote his book called ‘Thoughts are Things’ in 1889, long before more well-known, contemporary authors began writing about the power of thought. Despite being over 100 years old, this is a powerful book on thought.
Mulford explains we have, in effect, two minds: the mind of the body and the mind of the spirit. The mind of the body is limited and fights change. It thinks things must always be the way they've always been. The mind of the spirit trusts in the Supreme Power which made all things and knows that anything is possible if you believe.
Thoughts Become Things
Long before the Law of Attraction became widely known, Mulford talked about the fact that what we talk about and think about is what we attract to ourselves. He explains that if a group of people talk about disease or suffering, they will eventually bring disease and suffering to themselves in some form. One of my favourite chapters is the one on cultivating courage. He notes that courage and presence of mind mean the same thing, and cowardice and lack of mental control mean the same thing. He notes that courage comes from discipline regarding so-called little or trivial things. It means focusing on whatever you're doing at the moment rather than allowing your thoughts to scatter in many directions. This focus allows you to have the presence of mind to do what needs to be done rather than panic.
To me, the Presence of Mind means understanding and daily practice.
We’re familiar with the term self-awareness, however,
Do we really know what it means?
Do we understand the importance and value of practicing self-awareness to have a successful, happy life?
Self Awareness Exercises
Here are exercises to improve your self-awareness.
Verbalize Your Feelings
All too often, people reduce their emotional state to one of two choices, “sad" or “happy." However, emotions are more complicated than that and, if not properly understood, have the power to seriously mess with your behaviour and physical health.
Go Three Levels Deep
If you’re about to make a decision, you want to ask yourself why. This will start to clarify things for you, and you can then go a level deeper and ask “why" to your first answer. Do it again, asking three times to be clear of your answer.
Desensitize Yourself to Visceral Reactions
Do you ever know anyone in a hyper-emotional state where everything is either the greatest thing or the worst thing ever? Self-awareness reduces the impact of visceral reactions
Think About What You’re Saying To Yourself
Whether we’re aware of it or not, we’re always thinking. If that thinking turns into an endless loop of negative self-talk, the consequences can be quite destructive. So during a tough or stressful situation, be mindful of the types of thoughts that go through your head.
Practice Reflection
It’s one thing to have a negative, erratic thought or two, but if these types of thoughts are constantly swirling through your mind, you’re going to have a tough time finding consistent happiness and success. You can filter through and decide which thoughts are serving you best by reflecting on your thought process.
Meditate
A cornerstone for developing one’s self-awareness, meditation is the process of focusing on a simple or mundane task (ex. focusing on your breathing) that allows you to pay attention to the thoughts going through your mind.
'Stinkin thinkin'
Lots of food for thought and ways to change your ‘stinkin thinkin’ to a more positive way of thinking, which in turn will bring you great success in living a Happier Lifestyle in your personal and professional life.