We Are What We Think About

Our beliefs frame our thoughts and our thoughts create our reality…do you know what you’re thinking?

Personal and professional development is a passion, as well as my business, and I often hear people lamenting about this or that problem, expressing a desire to see change in some aspect of their lives. Maybe they would like to earn more money, lose weight, increase sales, get the next big promotion, start their own business, or have a better relationship. And when I ask, “What are you doing today to get what you want?” the answer is almost always the same. Gee, there are never enough hours in the day… sound familiar?

Making changes in our lives takes time and a little sweat equity – there is no way around it. But in our competitive, time crunched, gotta have it now society, most of us search for the quick fix; the one thing that turns our woes into bliss in the blink of an eye. And while we can’t twitch our noses and fix the boss, the spouse, the unreliable employee, our bank accounts, or the job, the good news is that designing the life we truly want is not as difficult as it might seem. Right now, this second – we can decide to change whatever is no longer working for us. The present is the point of power!

We have all heard it said that “we are what we think about”, and popular self-help rhetoric tells us that if we only change the way we think, or what we think about, all our dreams will come true. I believe in the power of positive thinking, and after years of self improvement study, I have also come to believe that positive thinking is only part of the equation.

If what we seek is change that leads to sustained success in our lives, we must examine what drives our thoughts. Every thought stems from our beliefs, and these beliefs are what ultimately define and create who we are, as well as the lives we lead. Unless we are clear on what we believe, whether it is about love, relationships, money, gender roles, success, whatever; we may never experience the richness and joy of life that we are meant too.

If we do not like what is happening in our lives, the answer lies in understanding what we believe in. Until we do, our positive thinking only brings us limited success. Self-reflection is a powerful tool that can be used to understand who we are as individuals. Taking time each day to examine our beliefs, and subsequently our thoughts may seem silly at first, but making this investment in you is time well spent.

So, what do you need to get started? All it takes is paper, pen, an open mind, a few minutes each day and a quiet space where you can relax without interruption. Begin to notice – not judge – your thoughts on various topics, and simply jot them down. Begin to ask yourself how these thoughts tie back to your core beliefs and again note it down – without judging. In a few short days, you will see patterns developing. You will begin to understand that your beliefs direct your life. If you long for financial wealth, but seem locked in a cycle of living paycheck to paycheck, through reflection you may discover that you hold negative beliefs about money you did not realize were there. Armed with this knowledge you can pattern new ways of thinking that help you achieve the wealth you seek.

When we accept that our beliefs form our thoughts and that our thoughts become the results we now see in our lives, then and only then, are we able to accept responsibility for what we have created. We are not helpless puppets in the show that is our lives. Understanding what drives our thoughts is the power we need to turn it all around.

Here’s to the journey…