Word-Of-the-Week #1078: Thoughts
April 17, 2025 by Susan Clarke
Thoughts – the things that you think about.
Would you agree that negative thoughts are just symptoms of a low state of mind? Can you see thoughts for what they are, and that you can choose whether or not to give them credibility?
This week features “It’s Just a Thought” by Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor.
“Are you training yourself to be incompetent?
We talk to ourselves all the time. What we say — and what we believe about it — makes a difference in who we are, who we become … and perhaps, in who OTHER people become.
- “I’m no good at math.”
- “I can’t figure those things out.”
- “This business grinds you down.”
- “I don’t have time for that.”
- “I am such an idiot.”
- “______ is such a screw-up.”
- “You always get that wrong.”
- … the list is endless.
Innocent talk, right? I mean, all these statements are true when you say them … aren’t they?
Not necessarily. Truth is, they’re only thoughts — just a few more bubbles out of the bubble machine. When you can see them as no more than that, you can choose whether or not they’re worth taking seriously.
But we tend to believe that because we THINK something is a certain way, that’s the way it really is. Say it often enough and you’ll become attached to the thought. You’ll take it very seriously and defend it to others .. but it’s still only a stray thought.
Just like weights on a balloon, hanging on to all those negative thoughts drags down your mood. As your mood [state of mind] drops, the world looks more hostile, you feel more insecure and it reinforces the negative thoughts.
Negative thoughts are just symptoms of a low state of mind. For example, when you’re “having a bad day,” EVERYTHING seems like a disaster, doesn’t it?. On the other hand, when you’re in love [a high state of mind] … NO PROBLEMS!
The world doesn’t change, but how it looks to you changes based upon where your eyeballs are … and that’s merely a function of your own thinking.
When you see thoughts for what they are, you can choose whether or not to give them credibility. When you don’t take negative thoughts too seriously (“Hmm, that’s a weird idea. What’s next?”) they cease to have any lasting impact.
As a result, you stay more positive and live in a world of greater possibility. You see lapses in yourself and others as just innocent symptoms of undeveloped skills, a minor lapse easily addressed and improved.
- Here’s an idea:
People often feel overwhelmed when they start a new job in a new place with a new culture and new co-workers. What if you pulled a new hire aside at the end of their first day and said something like, “I’m so glad to have you on the team. I can see you’re really going to be great at this.”
About then it’s what they really need to hear … and your quiet reassurance will greatly improve the odds they’ll stick with it and excel.”
This week’s focus is on thoughts. Do you believe that because you think something is a certain way, that’s the way it really is? How would it feel to not take negative thoughts too seriously? Can you imagine living in a world of greater possibilities?
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