Hey folks
Have you ever heard of the scripture “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”? (Proverbs 23:7). If you have, what are your thoughts about it, does it resonate with you? Today, I want us to explore how our thinking patterns impact our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Shifting our thinking from negative to positive will improve the quality of our lives.
The way we think shows clearly in the way we carry ourselves and make decisions. If our view is half-empty, then we are probably those people who often have some resistance to life and new things and that is because we operate from a place of fear. Of course, it is good to be wise and know when to act but if we are always skeptical of things and people, it can be a problem. It is necessary to shift our point of view from half-empty to half-full. When your perception is more positive, you are most likely to attract more positive events and people in your life. The little disappointments of life do not get you down easily because generally, you are a positive person that has good expectations from life.
My question to you today is what do your thoughts look like, do you ever take account of them? If you could draw a representation of your thoughts on a piece of paper, what would we see? Would it be a garden filled with flowers or a dark and misty cave? I am referring to the regular thoughts that visit your mind, I know some days will be different from others depending on your activities, but generally, as people, we either have healthy thoughts or negative thoughts. Life gets busy, I understand that we hardly find any time to stop and think about what our thought life looks like. This is hidden from others and only exposed to you and God. The fact that it is hidden should not stop you from considering and fixing the affected areas in your mind. “As a man thinketh, so is he”. I believe this statement is true because we may say one thing about ourselves, but the manifestation of our actions stems from what we consider as truth. There was a time in my life when my self-esteem and worth were close to zero. I did not believe in myself, and my thoughts were obviously very negative and it showed in the relationships that I found myself in, it showed in the things that I attracted and tolerated. As much as there will be bad characters in life which we cannot avoid, we have the right to decide who stays in our lives. So, when we see little value in our lives, it will probably show in what we entertain and tolerate. If you have negative thoughts 70% of the time, guess what? Your outlook on life will be negative. This may be an indication of healing that needs to take place. Healing can only start when you take account of your current thought process and decide to act on improving/ changing it.
Training our minds and thoughts takes time, so does anything else that is worth having. So, if you recognize or know that your thoughts are generally in a horrible state, the first step would be to admit to yourself without judging yourself harshly. Once you realize that your “truth” about life, in general, is negative, then you can start searching for the real truth, one that will set you free from the bondage of negative thinking. This negative mindset can feel like a prison, especially if you are bitter and angry towards others and yourself as you replay the same scenarios repeatedly. Doing that will only cause damage. Once you are honest with your current state, the next step would be to forgive yourself for having allowed your mind to be locked in such a state. Thirdly, try and remember what happened to you. What happened before you had a negative mindset, what got you there? It could be a series of events but try and remember which particular event got you to abandon your happier and healthier self? Going back to the event might get you angry or make you sad again but it will be worth it if you confront it. Once you confront it, remind yourself that you are no longer living there, life is different for you now and so will your thoughts be. Reconcile with this place in your life and recognize that you hold the keys to your freedom. You are not your thoughts, just an observer of them, remember that.
Of course, the negative thoughts will attempt to come back but when you are aware of these thoughts and have decided that they do not belong with you then you are a step closer to change. Do not allow your thoughts to consume you, you have power over them. Make a habit of checking in on yourself daily, every morning and every night. Check how you are feeling and identify any negative thoughts that come up, release them, and replace them with good thoughts such as your dreams and where you see yourself in the future. When these negative thoughts come up, speak to them as the manager of your life and take a decisive stand against them- you hold the key to a healthier mental state.
As your new thinking pattern establishes, you will see a great change in your outlook and experiences. Be patient with yourself in this process.
“Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right”- Proverbs 20: 11.
With love,
Unathi.
Well Watered Gardens 