So many thoughts go through our mind every day. It has been estimated by professionals that our brain produces between 12,000 and 50,000 thoughts per day, many of those thoughts being purely about past, obsessing about mistakes we have made, thoughts of guilt, or pure nonsense. Some of the scientists would argue and say that 70%-80% of those thoughts are negative, unfortunately. I wonder, therefore, how can anyone enjoy what they do (job, family time, friends) when they focus on negative things most of the time?
Believe it or not, we are shaped by our decisions. They actually reflect our principles and what we truly value in life.
Becoming aware of these thoughts might be the first step to walk out of this cycle of negativity. When I focus on the thoughts I let my mind dwell on I become self-aware of the impact they can have on my life — but this is just the very first step. The second step, and the most important one, is choosing what thoughts you allow to stay. Imagine your mind being like an airport and your thoughts being represented by planes. Who allows the planes to land or take off? The control tower. Guess who that is in all of this. Yes, YOU are the control tower. You get to decide which plane (thought) lands or takes off or is not allowed to do so.
It takes time, discipline, perseverance. It is not an easy job to train your mind to spend less time on thoughts that have no meaning and focus on the ones that might take you where you want to go. How can you do that? I would encourage you to monitor your thoughts for at least one day and see what goes on in your mind most of the time. You might have a small notebook with you and draw a plus (+) for positive thoughts and a minus (-) for negative thoughts. At the end of the day you can see which ones are more and make a decision based on where you stand when it comes to thinking patterns.
I do not have to know what your life values are. I can just look at your decisions. They will tell me, eventually, who you are and what matters to you.
The main idea of this exercise is that you have control over yourself. You are capable of making decisions knowing their purpose and expecting a certain outcome. Believe it or not, we are shaped by our decisions. They actually reflect our principles and what we truly value in life. I do not have to know what your life values are. I can just look at your decisions. They will tell me, eventually, who you are and what matters to you. Actions often speak louder than any of our words.
Time to make a decision. Which one will it be? Will you let thoughts govern your life or will you take control over your own growth and choose carefully what thoughts you let into your mind?