BILLOWING IDEAS

What if our thoughts were visible?

What if they took on the form of a cloud, whose size would reveal how often you had that thought?

What if a single idea was like a strand of cotton candy that adhered together with like ideas until the group of ideas was a sticky mess?

That’s how I see beliefs. As a large grouping of ideas that I practiced, over and over, until it became so large that it crowded out other ideas on that same subject. Some beliefs help me; some beliefs don’t. In either case, however, I am responsible for my ideas.

With this one visual, I have made it a practice to think ideas, on purpose, to better support me. With this one visual, I make it a point to let go of ideas that are not helpful to my experience. With this one idea of thoughts building up over time, I became committed to thinking better thoughts.

Now, when I catch myself mired in negative thinking, such as worry, I stop and say, is this the kind of belief that will help me? If it’s not, I let it go and then look for an idea that better reflects what I truly want.

Over time, I like to invest in creating ideas that help me. Ideas that feel good to me. Ideas that reflect my true nature.

With each one that I create, I grow stronger. With each negative idea that I allow to continue, I grow weaker. So, for me, it’s easy to choose thoughts, and then beliefs, that serve me.

Most of us think in repetitive patterns. Awareness of your negative thought patterns could provide you with a road map of where improving your thinking could help you the most. Here’s how it works.

Say you have a task, or a job, where you don’t feel competent Each time you approach the task, or the job, your mind says, I can’t do this. Or, I’m not good at this. Or, everyone else is better at this than me. Those are some crappy thoughts, cluttering up your headspace and growing large over time. I suggest you confront those thoughts, say “that’s not true,” and then start a practice of saying a thought that is helpful. Such as:

I could get better at this.

I bet there are ways to make this task easier.

I can do this.

What you believe is entirely up to you. I choose beliefs that help me succeed in life. You do you. Because whatever thoughts you allow in are the thoughts that you will have. Totally up to you which ones you cause to grow large and which you decide are no longer going to weigh you down.