It seems obvious and most natural but it isn’t. Good, positive thoughts are anything but natural and the understanding of how important it is to think right is anything but obvious.
Learning how to permeate your mind with good positive thoughts about yourself and the world around you is one of the hardest things you are ever going to do or even accept as important. We live in a terribly negative world. A world full of war, injustice, and suffering. We live day to day and in order to protect freedom and democracy we constantly report the horrible and tragic events of our lives. We either see them on television or we gossip about them at work. We have lived in negativity our entire lives. It feels comfortable. It feels natural, but releasing yourself from its clutches cannot be understated.
Good thoughts matter. I want you to write this down on a piece of paper or your hand, and think about it. Good thoughts matter because thoughts become things. The very ideas that exist in your mind manifest themselves in the real world. It’s not magic or some kind of voodoo, its just neuroscience. Descartes said “I think therefor I am”, but what you think, you also become.
We hold ourselves to a different standard. We think we’re above what we create because we habitually yell at machines for not doing what they ought to when in truth they are only doing what they were programmed to do. Imagine? Getting upset with something that has not feelings and doesn’t think?
It’s silly, yes, but more importantly it underlines the importance of positive thinking. The garbage that you put inside your mind will eventually come out in your life, but in the exact same way, the things you think about, dream about, and believe it can’t help but come out either. It’s natural.
Every night and indeed every day the moon and the stars shine for us, but we go weeks and months without looking up and noticing them. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t there or that we didn’t have access to them.
A good life. A most meaningful life is always within our grasp. It won’t happen in one swoop. It doesn’t come without sweat, effort, hard work, and persistence. It doesn’t come without sacrifice, set backs, or failure. But it does come, but you will never see it if you don’t believe it or think you can get it.
Thoughts become things. Those pieces of information that swirl around in your head is what will manifest the life you dream about, so what do we do?
For starters our language reveals where we are in life. So pay attention what you say and how often you say it. If your language doesn’t reflect the reality you want to be in one day, than change the way you speak. It won’t be easy, but that is the first line of attack.
At the same time you are trying to clean up your language, which will inevitably clean up your thinking, or at least not degrade your thoughts, you need to put in good things. Avoid hanging out and entering into conversation with negative people. Avoid watching the news. Don’t be ignorant of things but you’re not in a position to change the weather or undo past wrongs, so don’t be so immersed in them either. And devour good books and audio talks. There are free Ted talks available. There are hundreds of free broadcasts and books upon books that will help to shape a positive mind.
Good thoughts matter.
Dreams do come true, if we think they come true, and get out of our own way so they can meet and embrace us one day.
Cover photo generously provided by photographer Christopher Sardegna
https://unsplash.com/@css
