- Change Your Thoughts and You Change Your World
~ Norman Vincent Peale ~
Where and what do you give your attention to? You probably don’t think about it.
Recent changes in our world have caused most of us to really slow down and notice what we are thinking about and what we are doing in our daily lives.
Have you ever noticed that what thoughts you give your attention to seems to give them more power? Stop and think about it. What if your thoughts were like a magnet which brought more thoughts of the same kind directly back to you and increased as you continually thought about them Wow. I know that is a powerful statement. I know this to be true in my life.
But if it were true, you would be very careful about what you were thinking, especially for an extended period of time.
Thoughts come up without your control. It’s about watching your thoughts that can create an awareness as to the fact you can try to control where they go to in your mind.
It’s not necessary to judge or criticize yourself about what you give your attention to. In reality, thoughts usually don’t have a lot of meaning. They come and go. Thoughts of happiness, tragedy, grief, unnecessary drama, worry, joy, relief, the past, and the future, etc.
Write them down for reflection. Then ask yourself “Are my thoughts going in a good direction that is good for me?”
Most of the time it really isn’t the external situations that are the problem. Its how our minds perceive them. Try thinking about that and see what you come up with.
Listed below are some resources for further inquiry about awareness.
Resources
Books
Ted Talks
Watch “Self-awareness can change your life | Charlotte Mouyal | TEDxHotelschoolTheHague”
Please leave a comment if you would like in the section below. I also do personal growth coaching so please feel free if to contact me directly at humanpotential101@gmail.com
What a joy to read your post. I’m 78 years old and I was introduced to Dr. Norman Vincent Peale by my mother who read all his books. I followed his teachings into adulthood. He guided me through the many things I encountered in my life. I’m so happy that you brought him back to life! I also wanted to comment on something: When my son was a teenager, he didn’t seem to be on a path to adulthood. I tried to guide him, giving him one suggestion after another. Finally, in a polite way, he said to me, “Mom, you want more for me than I want for myself.” I learned at that point that no one can be motivated. People self motivate themselves when they decide what they want and go after it. At that point, I was there to help him when he needed me.
Hello Rita.
Thank you for your comment on the article. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m 64 and I have been reading self-help books for many years and still reading them. I feel at any age we can learn new information that helps us along in life. I took a break from writing articles for a bit, but reading your feedback has given me a “shot in the arm” boost. Thank you for that! I feel we are here to help one another in life, however big or small.
I wrote some articles in the months of May, June and July of this year. They are in the archives. I would love your feedback!
Sincerely,
Cynthia