What do you spend most of your time thinking about?
Do you find yourself constantly reminding yourself of how sad or unhappy you are?
Or do you think about how happy you WANT to be?
This is an important question.
In fact, this is a VERY IMPORTANT question.
Most of us realize -- at least to some degree -- that what we THINK about affects the way that we feel. What we DON'T realize, however, is how MUCH it affects us and how EASY it is to CHANGE what we think about with just a little effort.
Your mind is an amazing thing. It is more powerful than all of the super-computers that have ever been invented. It regulates thousands of complex systems running in your body -- like your breathing, your heartbeat, your circulatory systems, etc. -- without you even having to consciously think about it. Your mind is constantly taking in and processing information. It is literally the command center.
There are two basic parts of your mind. Your conscious mind and your unconscious mind. Your conscious mind is the part that you control. You decide to reach for a cup of coffee sitting in front of you and your arm responds by lifting up and reaching out to take hold of the cup.
Your unconsious mind, on the other hand, is the part of our mind that we don't always have direct control over. This is typically the part where our emotions come from. We don't always "understand" why we feel one way or the other. We are not "conscious" of what is happening in this part of our mind. (That's the reason we call it the "UN-conscious" mind.)
Of the two parts of the mind -- the "conscious" and the "unconscious" -- the more powerful is the "unconscious."
Why?
Because the unconsious mind is what runs the show in the background. It doesn't ask questions. It just obeys and does what it is told to do.
Here is the KEY.
Pay close attention here, because this is VERY important.
The conscious mind is the CAPTAIN.
The unconscious mind is the CREW.
Whatever your conscious mind (the CAPTAIN) tells your unconsious mind (the CREW), it will believe and follow.
Here's the secret,
You need to take back control of your conscious mind. You need to be the CAPTAIN of your mind.
In other words, CHOOSE what you're going to think about instead of letting circumstances or your past or other people tell you what to think.
Most of us have grown up allowing everything around us to tell us what to think instead of really CHOOSING what to think about.
We have been PASSIVE in allowing a variety of thoughts to come into our mind. Our unconsious mind, remember, doesn't question whether or not these things are true or not. It
just responds. Its role is to obey. It will respond to whatever it receives.
The result has been that our lives and our emotions are constantly getting tossed back and forth by all of the changing circumstances and voices from our past that have told us what to think about who we are, what we're capable of, and what we should feel.
When you make a conscious choice of what to think about, the CAPTAIN of your mind is in control. Your unconscious mind, the "CREW" has no choice but to obey and follow orders.
If, for example, your "CAPTAIN" tells the "CREW" that circumstances are overwhelming or hopeless, the crew will respond accordingly and you will begin to "feel" overwhelmed and hopeless.
If, on the other hand, your "CAPTAIN" tells the "CREW" that, even though there are challenges, you WILL be successful, that you ARE happy in spite of the challenges, etc., you will find yourself starting to "feel" these positive emotions.
Plus, because of the universal principles of magnetism, (more on this later), you will begin to draw the same type of energy into your life that you focus on.
The Bible says, "As a man thinketh, so he is." It goes on to tell us that what we think about and focus on will determine the amount of peace and joy in our lives. (Read Phillipians chapter 4.)
The point is, one of the foundational principles of changing your emotions is realizing that you have the POWER to CHOOSE what you think about. And when you CHOOSE what you THINK about, you plant the seeds that will determine how you FEEL.
--
Here's your homework for the next couple of days:
Start to notice the kinds of things that you're thinking about.
Write them down if necessary.
When you notice that you're telling yourself something negative, CHANGE it to a positive statement.
For example, if you find yourself silently saying, "I'm so unhappy," stop yourself and tell yourself the opposite ("Ifeel happy") -- even if you don't really believe it yet.
Just "SAY" it to yourself. Allow the "CAPTAIN" of your mind to tell the "CREW" what you WANT!
Spend the next few days noticing any negative thoughts and consciously changing them to positive ones.
Take control. Tell yourself that you are the CAPTAIN. Remember, YOU give the orders. Not your past. Not your circumstances.
Tell yourself that you ARE happy.
Refuse to listen to thoughts that will try to tell you that you're "just fooling yourself."
Spend at least five minutes a day thinking ONLY of things that you're thankful for. These can be as simple as having a place to sleep, hot water, clean clothes, etc.
The point is that for these five minutes, you are ONLY going to focus on things that are "good" in your life right now.
During this time, DO NOT think about things that you want to change. ONLY think about things that you're happy about.
For this five minutes, try to be truly thankful for these things.
Look for opportunities to notice positive things in your life and have your "CAPTAIN" tell your "CREW" that you are thankful and happy for these things.
--
Of course, there's much more to changing the reality of your emotions. But this is a good beginning.
Or do you think about how happy you WANT to be?
This is an important question.
In fact, this is a VERY IMPORTANT question.
Most of us realize -- at least to some degree -- that what we THINK about affects the way that we feel. What we DON'T realize, however, is how MUCH it affects us and how EASY it is to CHANGE what we think about with just a little effort.
Your mind is an amazing thing. It is more powerful than all of the super-computers that have ever been invented. It regulates thousands of complex systems running in your body -- like your breathing, your heartbeat, your circulatory systems, etc. -- without you even having to consciously think about it. Your mind is constantly taking in and processing information. It is literally the command center.
There are two basic parts of your mind. Your conscious mind and your unconscious mind. Your conscious mind is the part that you control. You decide to reach for a cup of coffee sitting in front of you and your arm responds by lifting up and reaching out to take hold of the cup.
Your unconsious mind, on the other hand, is the part of our mind that we don't always have direct control over. This is typically the part where our emotions come from. We don't always "understand" why we feel one way or the other. We are not "conscious" of what is happening in this part of our mind. (That's the reason we call it the "UN-conscious" mind.)
Of the two parts of the mind -- the "conscious" and the "unconscious" -- the more powerful is the "unconscious."
Why?
Because the unconsious mind is what runs the show in the background. It doesn't ask questions. It just obeys and does what it is told to do.
Here is the KEY.
Pay close attention here, because this is VERY important.
The conscious mind is the CAPTAIN.
The unconscious mind is the CREW.
Whatever your conscious mind (the CAPTAIN) tells your unconsious mind (the CREW), it will believe and follow.
Here's the secret,
You need to take back control of your conscious mind. You need to be the CAPTAIN of your mind.
In other words, CHOOSE what you're going to think about instead of letting circumstances or your past or other people tell you what to think.
Most of us have grown up allowing everything around us to tell us what to think instead of really CHOOSING what to think about.
We have been PASSIVE in allowing a variety of thoughts to come into our mind. Our unconsious mind, remember, doesn't question whether or not these things are true or not. It
just responds. Its role is to obey. It will respond to whatever it receives.
The result has been that our lives and our emotions are constantly getting tossed back and forth by all of the changing circumstances and voices from our past that have told us what to think about who we are, what we're capable of, and what we should feel.
When you make a conscious choice of what to think about, the CAPTAIN of your mind is in control. Your unconscious mind, the "CREW" has no choice but to obey and follow orders.
If, for example, your "CAPTAIN" tells the "CREW" that circumstances are overwhelming or hopeless, the crew will respond accordingly and you will begin to "feel" overwhelmed and hopeless.
If, on the other hand, your "CAPTAIN" tells the "CREW" that, even though there are challenges, you WILL be successful, that you ARE happy in spite of the challenges, etc., you will find yourself starting to "feel" these positive emotions.
Plus, because of the universal principles of magnetism, (more on this later), you will begin to draw the same type of energy into your life that you focus on.
The Bible says, "As a man thinketh, so he is." It goes on to tell us that what we think about and focus on will determine the amount of peace and joy in our lives. (Read Phillipians chapter 4.)
The point is, one of the foundational principles of changing your emotions is realizing that you have the POWER to CHOOSE what you think about. And when you CHOOSE what you THINK about, you plant the seeds that will determine how you FEEL.
--
Here's your homework for the next couple of days:
Start to notice the kinds of things that you're thinking about.
Write them down if necessary.
When you notice that you're telling yourself something negative, CHANGE it to a positive statement.
For example, if you find yourself silently saying, "I'm so unhappy," stop yourself and tell yourself the opposite ("Ifeel happy") -- even if you don't really believe it yet.
Just "SAY" it to yourself. Allow the "CAPTAIN" of your mind to tell the "CREW" what you WANT!
Spend the next few days noticing any negative thoughts and consciously changing them to positive ones.
Take control. Tell yourself that you are the CAPTAIN. Remember, YOU give the orders. Not your past. Not your circumstances.
Tell yourself that you ARE happy.
Refuse to listen to thoughts that will try to tell you that you're "just fooling yourself."
Spend at least five minutes a day thinking ONLY of things that you're thankful for. These can be as simple as having a place to sleep, hot water, clean clothes, etc.
The point is that for these five minutes, you are ONLY going to focus on things that are "good" in your life right now.
During this time, DO NOT think about things that you want to change. ONLY think about things that you're happy about.
For this five minutes, try to be truly thankful for these things.
Look for opportunities to notice positive things in your life and have your "CAPTAIN" tell your "CREW" that you are thankful and happy for these things.
--
Of course, there's much more to changing the reality of your emotions. But this is a good beginning.
gray matter feeds @ 10:20
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