We shape our thoughts by choosing our intentions, asking ourselves powerful questions, and making powerful statements to ourselves. We also shape our thoughts by replacing weak thought patterns with powerful thought patterns.
In my book, Managing Thought: Think Differently. Think Powerfully. Achieve New Levels of Success., I refer to the book Power vs. Force by David R. Hawkins, MD, Ph.D. I mention that the energy of a thought can be measured and that “the difference in power between a loving thought and a fearful thought is so enormous as to be beyond the capacity of the human imagination to easily comprehend.”
When I first read this, I was taken aback. I experienced an incredible aha! Until that moment, I approached my work and my own self-cultivation by looking for what was wrong and then working on making it right.
Another big aha! for me was learning that what I considered to be less virtuous bad thoughts were neither good nor bad. They were merely a function of viewpoint, which is the accumulation of my thought patterns.
The biggest aha! for me was the realization that by lifting my thoughts higher and higher each day, I make a difference.
The current theme of my Daily Inspiration Thoughts of the Day is Replacing Weak Thought Patterns with Powerful Thought Patterns. There are three posts a day offering guidance on choosing and focusing on powerful thoughts vs. weak thoughts. Follow or visit Managing Thought on Twitter to receive them as they post or come back to this blog daily and view the Daily Inspiration on Twitter feed in the right-hand menu bar.
For additional practical guidance on powerful and weak thought patterns, check out Chapter 15 of Managing Thought or David Hawkins, MD, Ph.D’s book Power vs. Force.
© 2011 Mary J. Lore and Managing Thought LLC All rights reserved.
The questions we ask ourselves have a powerful impact on what we feel and what we experience everyday. The questions we ask ourselves, and how we ask those questions, are key to whether or not we take action to fulfill our intentions, or how much time, money or energy we may waste attempting to fulfill an intention.
In the workshops I do, whether we are discussing a life well-lived, a job well-done, a great relationship, a corporate culture, or a well-executed strategy, when we ask what is the essence of what we truly want, the answer is always happiness. Corporate leaders, blue collar workers, moms and dads, sixth graders, teens, seniors, spiritual advisors all want to be happy. “The pursuit of happiness,” is listed in the United States Declaration of Independence among the unalienable and sovereign rights of man. The Dalai Lama teaches that the purpose of life is happiness.
I always look forward to the coming of spring. It’s a time of renewal and growth. And just as I choose the seeds I wish to plant in my garden, so do I choose the thoughts I intend to cultivate.
As I talk about in my Managing Thought workshops, what we feel and what we experience depends on what we choose to focus. We have the ability to choose our focus and ultimately our reality. We choose our focus by choosing our intentions.
In my own journey, when I started practicing self-awareness and managing my thoughts, I was surprised to discover that I was making thousands of choices and thousands of decisions every day. I was surprised to discover that in one moment, I could dramatically change the course of my life, my work, my relationships, just by understanding and changing how I choose to think. I also realized that practicing “positive thinking” or thinking “happy thoughts” as we are often taught to do just doesn’t work.
I call the Do-Over the Amazing Managing Thought tool. Because Self-awareness takes practice. True happiness takes practice. It is a constant awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and choices. Telling ourselves that we need to think more positively or be happy doesn’t do anything. And criticizing ourselves for thinking “bad” thoughts doesn’t work either. It is practice that makes permanent. It’s practicing noticing our thoughts and feelings and, if they are not in alignment with who we truly are, taking a breath (focusing on the exhale), adding light, and choosing thoughts that move us in a direction that serves our purpose. Remember, our brains are fast—very fast. And we want them to be fast. So there’s no reason to be surprised when our brains continue to quickly deliver to us old, habitual thoughts (followed quickly by our mouths!) That’s what the do-over is for—to give our brains a script and practice the script to re-wire our neural nets. It’s like learning to ride a bike, play tennis, or golf! With practice, our new way of thinking and being becomes natural for us.
In my 
