Bogged Down with “Stinking Thinking”
By Christian Life CoachingIs your “stinking thinking” getting you into trouble? Behavioral scientists now say that most people entertain about 600 negative thoughts a day. With so much negativity to contend with on any given day, it’s a wonder anyone gets anything done! No wonder so many are having a bad day and are not happy with their lives.
What if we could change our thinking, and therefore, change our life? Is it possible? According to James Allen it is. Many years ago, James Allen wrote the very popular book, “As A Man Thinketh.” In this book he states, “All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.” That’s a very powerful statement! Allen is exactly right according to cognitive therapists. What we think feeds our emotions and eventually gets played out in behavior. So if you have a question about your progress in life maybe you should ask yourself what are my thoughts like?
The trouble is, when it comes to thinking, most of us are very passive. We just let all this “stinking thinking” consume us. We do not take the time to challenge our thinking and send our thoughts in a different direction. What would happen if our thoughts were bombarded with positive encouraging information? Well, with everything in life, it always comes down to a choice.
With everything in life we benefit by being intentional and proactive with our lives and our thinking is no different. So if you are ready to move past “stinking thinking”, here are some helpful tips to get you going in a more positive direction.
1. Many of your thoughts come from your own inner self-talk. So, if you really want to know what you are thinking, tune into your self-talk. What is your self-talk like? Is it negative about yourself or others? Do you put yourself down, call yourself names? What are you really thinking? Tune in!
2. Once you tune in, write it down. Why? Your brain records what it sees so give it some new information to work with. For example, if you had an event happen that you responded in a negative way, write out the scenario. What you were thinking and feeling and how did you respond? Ask yourself what would have been a better way to think about this? How could I have responded better? You are now becoming aware of your thinking patterns and the next time you have a similar situation, you will remember your new thought processes and a better way to handle the situation.
3. What do I really believe? What is driving my negative beliefs? Often, many of us operate and do life from a message someone else has given us! These messages are like recordings in our brain. Time for a new recording and a new script! What is a new script for you that would be more beneficial? What is the truth? What positive affirmations and truths will you feed your mind? Write those out on a card and put them somewhere you can see them often. Better yet, begin to say those things out loud so your heart can hear them and your brain can record a new message!
It takes a little effort to start reeling your thoughts in and sending them a different direction but it can be done. Change does not happen overnight, but it can happen. The better question to ask is, “Don’t I deserve a better way of thinking and thus a better life?”
The good news is you are not powerless in this area of your life unless you choose to be. You have the power to challenge your thinking and change your life. It is a choice and a choice I hope you will make. If you change your thinking, one thought at a time, rest assured, you will begin to change your life!