Every moment of every day, you are given access to a powerful tool. There is no other tool like it on the market. It possesses the ability to create life or produce destruction.
Can you guess what that tool is?
It’s your inner thoughts.
Researchers estimate that women speak on average of 20,000 words and for men only about 7,000 words. I don’t know about you, my spoken words may be around 20,000 but my inner thoughts, the silent ones that no one (other than God) hears is probably around a million. My mind is always going.
Because of the sheer volume of one’s inner dialogue, you can trust there is significance in the way you think.
Proverbs 23:7 tells us how we think becomes the state of who we are. Another way of saying this is if you think negative things about yourself all day long, your words begin to shape the atmosphere of your heart and the reality of your mind. The perspective of the way you see and interact with the world is influenced by the words you think.
Here are a few examples of the power of your words and how they shape your reality:
Say these statements (out loud or read them silently).
I have to go to work today.
Now, flip your thinking script by making this simple change:
I get to go to work today.
Did you notice a change in how you felt? In the first you are may feel trapped. You may also feel powerless to make choices.
When you use “I have to” statements your personal choice is replaced with a victim mentality.
Make the change to “I get to” and the feeling of powerlessness is quickly replaced with empowerment. You are making a choice. It doesn’t always feel like it, but you possess innate power to make healthy choices for your life.
Making a small change like this will begin to not only change your thinking but also your emotional responses and even your physical demeanor. If you feel powerless you are likely to physically cower down or do the opposite and puff yourself up to mask the feelings of powerlessness.
Here’s another one:
What if I get fired from my job?
Now, flip your thinking script by making this simple change:
Today I am working. I am grateful for this and I am going to work hard today.
Did you notice a change in how you felt?
What if statements are all about the future. Those two little words paralyze your present because you are so afraid of your future.
It’s amazing what happens when you stop worrying about the future and begin to live in the moment. Does this verse sound familiar? “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
As you focus on the here and now, anxiety is more likely to melt away. The fog of confusion lifts, instantly leaving you with more clarity.
Now you try, what are your common negative thought patterns?
These will help get you started:
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I’ll never….
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I always….
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I should/shouldn’t….
Blessings to you,
Melissa
