Thought Life Management
I’ve done counseling with my mentor for going on 8 years now and the one thing that she consistently preaches is the importance of managing your thoughts. Almost all of my anxiety finds its origin in my thought life. The idea that something MIGHT happen, the idea that I might be disappointed or that something might not work out the way I want it to is often what sends me over the edge. My thoughts have a way of consuming me and If I’m not careful I will make decisions based on those thoughts that I later regret.
Being able to manage your thoughts is how you manage your life. Our thoughts are critical 1. They shape our perspective 2. They inform who we will become 3. They influence how we see God.
They shape our perspective. The bible says in Philippians 4:8, “whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things” Why? Because feelings follow thoughts. If you think negatively about something long enough you will start to believe it. Then your mood changes, your outcome, and disposition change. I remember feeling at one point that in comparison to my friends my life would be boring and that I would lack accomplishments, and honestly, sometimes I still feel that way. The problem is thinking that way discounts all of the blessings and all of the joy I have experienced.
They inform who we will become. “As a man thinks in his heart, he will be,” Proverbs 23:7. What you meditate on you will become. Actions follow your thoughts. God said it, Toure Roberts said it, my mentor said it and so has author James Clear (Atomic Habits). If you believe that you are a person who is a high achiever and does excellent work, you will begin to show up like that. Why? Because who you believe yourself to be is who you’ll become. I tell myself every morning that I am a person who drinks water because I believe in taking care of and hydrating my body; and during the day that thought pops back in my head and I am reminded that I need to drink more water in order to become that person.
They influence how we see God. This statement is loaded because in large part how we see God is very closely tied to what we know about him. When you don’t know him well you don’t see him correctly. When we don’t manage our thoughts and allow fear, negativity, and untruth to run rampant, our mind becomes a devil’s playground. He causes us to doubt what God said, who he is, our abilities, and our value.
If you control your thoughts, you control your life. If you don’t control them they control you. The consequence of that is anxiety, depression, and who knows what else. You have one life to live. Manage your thoughts so you can live it well.