Perhaps you’ve heard: “Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind.” In a lyric composed many years ago, I wrote:
There’s no getting around it:
the world is what you make it to be.
You see and hear, yes you perceive,
and then the mind such stories it weaves!
Our minds are very powerful human computers! And their job is to think. That can be a very good thing. With our minds, we solve problems, explore possibilities, and vision the future we wish to create.
Our thinking minds, however, if left unguarded, can guide us astray.Take a moment. Step away from what you are reading and just observe the thoughts that pass through your mind.
What did you notice?
If you are like most people, you witnessed a parade of ideas, to-do list items, shoulds, judgments, and oh so much more. These thoughts are guiding our actions, our emotions, our beliefs. Often, they are working from the past, memories held in the recesses. This means that, if we are listening to our thoughts, we are recreating what already has been. Seth Godin puts it this way:
Today, I encourage you to begin a daily practice of “thought awareness”. Take a timeout from business as usual, set a 5 minute alarm, and then sit quietly with your eyes closed and watch your thoughts. When the alarm rings, ask yourself:
Which thoughts were gifts from my intuition?
Which thoughts require action?
What thoughts am I ready to release?
Thanks, Jeanne! Thoughts are so powerful — thanks for the reminder to check in about what we’re focusing on.