Your thoughts are powerful, use them wisely.
Misconceptions, conflict and complete differences of opinion are common in daily life; our minds have a lot to answer for. Thoughts about ourselves and others can unduly influence us, often in the wrong way. We repeatedly forget that just because we think something, it doesn’t mean it’s true. Furthermore, there’s not one universal truth; we all have different realities.
As a teenager and young adult, I misconstrued thoughts to be facts.
The more a thought swirled around in my head, the more it validated my way of thinking, especially if it was about myself. Monkey chatter featured heavily in my daily existence, exhausting my mind and body with the endless noise and distraction that stole any glimpse of silence. Unable to recognise that my thoughts were being tirelessly regurgitated, my peace was eroded before it was even acknowledged.
That was until meditation and mindfulness blessed my life. Meditation created more space between my thoughts and a gentle stillness so that my inner voice was heard. The endless chatter subsided as I learnt to shut out the distractions my mind repeatedly presented to me.
Mindfulness brought awareness back to the present moment, taking me out of my head and into my body.
This place is exactly where we need to be so that we can feel, not think, our decisions. Once I was familiar with these practices, I was open to a profound revelation. Our thoughts are not fixed, nor are we stuck with them. Because they are transitory, we have the power to change them and tame our minds should we wish. Furthermore, our thoughts do not define us or make us who we are. As our own worst critics, this is particularly good news. Putting it simply, we are not our thoughts.
Dr Wayne Dyer brought awareness into my life about how powerful our thoughts are, and for this, I am incredibly grateful.
One of his famous quotes “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” deeply resonated with me the first time I heard it. At the core of this message is the understanding that when we change our perspective or look at something differently, everything changes. It really is as easy and hard as that.
This concept is stunningly simple and frustratingly difficult at the same time.
Over many years of life experience, reading books and sharing ideas with others, I grappled with the prospect that our perceptions and opinions, all those mind-based processes, are at times an illusion or figment of our wild imagination. Such a confusing contradiction can be tricky to navigate through, but today I embrace this despite all the prickles.
Dr Joe Dispenza empowered me to comprehend that nothing fundamentally changes when we repeat the same daily routines and ways of being. Stepping out of our comfort zone and feeling uncomfortable is necessary to rewire our brains so that we can experience different outcomes, make positive change and ultimately move forward.
The starting point is altering our thoughts.
Liberated, I am now able to turn my life around during periods of grief, trauma and loss, rather than sinking into a black hole with no idea how to get out. The glass is half full, instead of half empty. I manage to find the blessings in each storm, even when the raincloud is directly above my head, and the downpour makes it impossible to breathe.
As we begin to think about things from a different angle, realising that nothing is either good or bad, life miraculously unfolds. Thinking less critically helps to soften our heart. As our heart opens, abundance in all forms naturally flows. Changing our thoughts about ourselves is vital because more positive and loving thoughts lead to more loving feelings, words, and in turn, actions. We all benefit from this, including the planet. So, the next time you ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’, as the saying goes, look up and change your perspective.
Changing your perspective really can change your life!
Sarah x