From Mental Activity To Constructive Thinking
“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it.”
Henry Ford
I've heard it said that the way to set the stage for a successful day (week, month, year) is to set an intention, give it your attention, and have an expectation for its achievement.
This sounds easy to do, and yet, for many of us, it can be difficult to follow because we don't know how to think correctly to achieve what we want. We may think we're thinking but we're actually doing mental activity.
Our minds are busy all day long, thinking the same thoughts we've thought before, or we're focusing on the past, fearing the future, and reacting to what's going on around us. And without realizing it, we blame the reason for our lack of success on something or someone outside of us.
In truth, the first cause of all our results starts with our thinking. Everything starts with a thought or an idea in our mind. Our thoughts generate a feeling or vibration that then dictates the actions we take and it is our actions that cause our results.
To change our experience and our results, we must first make the effort to change our thinking. We must learn to organize our thoughts in an orderly and constructive way, in service OF the success we want to create.
Here are three practices to shift from mental activity to constructive thinking. These practices will help you not only when you're going through a challenging time but at anytime when you're wanting to achieve or experience something new:
1.) Notice what you're noticing. Life reads your Intention by where you place your Attention. And whatever you give your attention to, grows. Just as you plant apple seeds and know that they will bear apples, you can't plant thoughts of fear, doubt, lack, and limitation, and expect calm, abundance and success.
Start now to notice the thoughts that you're thinking and if they aren't a match to what you want, you can interrupt those thoughts, take a few deep breaths, bring your goal or objective to mind and ask yourself, "What's a more empowered thought I can think that's in service of my objective?" Or, "What can I do in this moment to take a step to serve my goal?"
2.) Notice the words that you're using. Don Miguel Ruiz, in The Four Agreements, says “Your word is the power that you have to create…It is through your word that you manifest everything. Regardless of what language you speak, your intent manifests through the word. What you dream, what you feel, what you really are, will all be manifested through the word."
Begin now to notice if you're using words of anger, limitation, or scarcity and practice shifting to words of kindness, compassion, gratitude and empowerment. An example of a reframe in your words could be,"Every day in every way I AM getting better and better."
3.) Notice what you're feeding your mind. What kinds of conversations are you having? Are you constantly watching the news or reading articles that create a sense of fear, overwhelm or anxiety within you. Start now to fill your mind with thoughts that feel life giving and expansive, that will create peace and confidence inside you.
For example, begin each day with gratitude, writing out a list of what you're grateful for. Experiment with meditation, which helps to quiet and train your mind. Here's a link to one of my favorite meditation apps, Insight Timer.
Maintain a clear vision of the life you want to create, and read or write it every day. And, before you go to bed, write a list of 3 to 5 things you're proud of and celebrate the progress you're making!
These strategies will signal your subconscious mind that things are changing. With each constructive thought you think, you are making welcome a new direction and a new experience in your life. This process however doesn’t happen overnight! Just as it took the Queen Mary seven miles to turn around once the captain gave the order to turn the ship, it takes time for us to think in new ways.
We can trust that as we practice daily to develop order and discipline with our minds and harness our capacity to THINK in constructive ways, we will discover that we can not only expect success but that we can achieve whatever we set our mind to.