Listen to the Episode Here (14:59)
Today I’d like to talk to you about Managing Your Thoughts. I know that each of us is spending much more time “inside our head”, because of the limited interactions we have on a daily basis due to the effects of the Covid-19 Virus.
I want to use a Favorite Book of mine as a reference (and a recommendation) for this discussion. I highly recommend the book Managing Thought by Mary J. Lore. The subtitle is Think Differently. Think Powerfully. Achieve New Levels of Success. I think this book will definitely help you accomplish those goals. I also agree with the Author that the book will help you to:
Rethink your path to success
Refocus your goals and priorities
Reframe your negative thoughts
Reignite your creativity
Revitalize your energy
Restore your sense of purpose
Reclaim your peace of mind
This book talks about a process for Managing Your Thoughts, but the first 5-6 Chapters (which I will re read on occasion) really help to set up the argument that You are Not Your Mind. We’ve talked about this before on The Daily Mastermind, and it was (frankly) one of the most listened to Episodes Ever. I believe this is attributed to the fact that we all get “stuck inside our head” at times.
But, I really want to talk about managing your thoughts this week because I am just as concerned and aware that most of us “don’t manage our thoughts”. In other words, when we are not actively managing our thoughts, our lives are still being affected. Managing Your Thought is not just a topic for people focused on Personal Development. I believe everyone should be consciously working on their thoughts because everyone should want to live a life of happiness and fulfillment.
So, lets discuss this more using some key ideas I have learned from this book:
Now is the only reality that exists. I love this thought because to influence your life, you must be present and accomplish this in the NOW.
Buddha said, We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we remake the world. (in the present)
There are 3 Keys to Success in Managing our Thoughts
1-self awareness
2-self mastery
3-being on purpose
We’ve been taught that our Actions Drive our Results, but this is not entirely true. I’ve mentioned this several times, but our Thoughts and Beliefs are what affect our thoughts. That is why our Results are Truly driven by our Thoughts and Beliefs that drive our Actions. (Belief Cycle)
I love the idea that when we are INSPIRED is when we Achieve Results. The happiness, thankfulness, vision, purpose, and wonder of possibly is what drive Creativity and Results.
So, the question we really need to ask ourselves is whether we are Driving our Thoughts, or are we plagued with self-doubt, fear, and worry. Are we Reactive (autopilot) or Proactive with our thoughts?
Eckhart Tolle said, “Thinking has become a disease. It is not so much that you use yoru mind wrongly…you usually don’t use it at all. It uses you. That is the disease. You believe that you are your mind.”
We need to Understand and Acknowledge that we are NOT our Minds….
Our Minds or Brains are Tools that are observe, sense, store, retrieve information.
The key way of using this tool is to be aware of our minds and the awareness empowers us.
This is the KEY…when we STOP to become Aware, we SHIFT our minds from the Hypothalamus to the Frontal Cortex of the Brain. This allows the CEO of our mind to take over and create many more solutions.
I recommend Practice, Practice, Practice of just NOTICING your thoughts.
Another key point to understand is that when we CALM our minds we are far more productive. We all know that our average daily thoughts are in the neighborhood of 60-100k per day. Creativity literally goes out the window when we are so overwhelmed or overloaded with thoughts. This is why is it so difficult to get things done when you are forcing yourself to come up with solutions during stressful times. Trust me when I say I Notice and Experience this often.
The biggest Solution you can have when this happens is to literally STOP what you are doing and take a break, go for a walk, do some exercise or meditate. I know from experience that this is very had to do in the moment, but when you are aware of your thoughts you will recognize this situation and act on it. Try it and see how much more productive you can become when you give you mind a break and create a calm, centered and creative mind.
Another key thing I like to remind myself of is that we are also not our Feelings. Our minds and our feelings are just a reflection of things going on in our world. BUT (and I emphasize this) our Feelings are an incredible tool to help us Manage our Minds. They are a great indicator as to whether or not we are “on purpose” and moving the right direction. When our thoughts trigger negative or difficult emotions, it is a great indication that something is wrong. Maybe we are not aligned with the best version of ourselves, and maybe we are not moving in the right direction.
When this happens, STOP and become aware of your Emotions. When you take a step back and analyze your emotions, it is a powerful way to take control of the situation and rather than let it get the best of you. I do believe we need to allow emotions to take their course rather than fight them, but its true that you can deal with them much better when you are not reactive and controlled by your emotions.
Now, just the reverse can be true with powerful positive emotions. Plus, Powerful Positive Thoughts and Emotions can be a real catalyst for Inspiration and Creativity. That is why we always talk about Positive Affirmations or Declarations. This is a way to turn Weak Thoughts and Emotions into Powerful and Productive Thoughts & Emotions.
Love, Gratitude, and Forgiveness are far more powerful than Anger, Resentment and Blame.
Saying things like “I am successful” are far more powerful than “I want to be successful”.
Saying I “should be” is not as powerful as saying “I choose to be”. Does that make sense.
Be aware of your Thoughts, Feelings, Emotions and that awareness will Empower you to Create Massive Change and Results in your life. Now, I don’t time to really cover all of this book I am referring to, but there is one other example I’d like to highlight.
The author refers to the process of Managing Your Thoughts like that of Pruning a Tree. In order to truly Grow a Strong Tree, you must Start with Purpose, Prune the Tree and then Cultivate it Daily. T Harv Eker also talks about this concept when he says “The Roots Create the Fruits”. In other words, you can’t just “let it happen”. You need to consciously and specifically decide what you want and cultivate and nurture those results.
I want to encourage you to pick up a copy of this book and I will do my best to find a time to interview Mary Lore and maybe we can get into more details on the actual “Process” she goes through in the book. She covers many topics in depth that I think will help you go through eh process of managing your thoughts like:
identifying thoughts that waste time, energy and money
identifying destructive and diseased thoughts
how to shape your thoughts
how to ask powerful questions
making powerful statements
daily cultivation
how to manage your energy and spirit
and many many more ideas
Ultimately, I there are many examples, studies, stories and descriptions that I feel can really help you to lock in the knowledge and wisdom contained in this topic throughout the book.
With that said, I want to (once again) encourage you to Empower yourself by learning to STOP and become AWARE of your thoughts each day. Practice it this week. Watch what happens when you make that action to notice your thoughts. Notice how much more objective you will become, and notice how much more productive you will be. Our goal is to help you create more results in your life, and I hope that this discussion has given you more inspiration and motivation to do that.
Remember, it’s never too late to start living the life you were meant to live.
Thanks for joining me today.
George Wright III
