If everything you thought or said manifested instantaneously how clear would you train yourself to think and speak? For generations spiritual leaders, philosophers and respected members of academia have been trying to teach the rest of the world the secrets to success and inner peace. Across the board the common theme is that we have the ultimate power of choice in how we think, feel and speak. In addition, how we think, feel and speak dramatically influence our perception of life, our experience of life how we perceive and respond to opportunity and most importantly our relationships.
“The world we have created is a product of our thinking;
it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
- Albert Einstein
In Proverbs 23:7.Solomon wrote, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Another biblical passage s found in Matt. 15:10-11, 15-20 Christ states “Hear, and understand: Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. Our mouth is just a venue to express our thoughts. What were these two spiritual leaders trying to teach us? Perhaps the message is that our health and success is better determined by our state of mind than by our physical actions. Not to say that the latter is less important rather that if we are doing everything we can to be physically healthy but we harbor resentments or anger in our mind we will still face disharmony and dis-ease. The formula goes something like this; thoughts+words+ feeling=manifestation. Not the other way around. Many people believe that if they can get enough money then they can have the nice house and the nice care and maybe then get find Mr. or Mrs. Right so that someday they can finally be happy. The truth is that no matter how hard we try in our outer reality, at the end of the day we come home to our thoughts. We lay awake in bed at night perseverating on the things that didn’t go our way that day. What would happen if we came home and re-lived our day in our imagination exactly the way we wish it could have been and lived from the emotion of peace and acceptance about our day. Then there is a possibility of waking up happy and creating our day from our happy peaceful mind. And since action follows thought…we have just changed the course of our day and perhaps our life.
“Happiness is when what you think,
What you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
-Gandhi
Why did all of these great thinkers invest so much of their precious time and energy attempting to get this message across to the general public? Maybe there was a reason. Maybe that reason had something to do with the profound truth that lies therein and the great potential for healing available to all who would partake in that truth.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
If one speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows that person.
If one speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows that person,
like a shadow that never leaves him or her.
If one speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows that person.
If one speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows that person,
like a shadow that never leaves him or her.
- Buddha
Perhaps part of the problem is that people would rather be right than happy. And in order to experience the healing benefit from adopting such a profound truth we must set aside our known reality for a moment and entertain possibilities that may have been outside of our conscious awareness. This means that we must be face the possibility that we didn’t have it all figured out like we thought we had. It also means that we have to take personal responsibility for the condition of our life and stop looking outside of ourselves for someone else to blame. However, if this small miracle of taking personal responsibility can be achieved, then great personal power is available to us instantaneously. Taking personal responsibility means that we have the power to change. Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. When we blame others we place the power of change in their hands. I challenge you to reclaim your power by looking at what you can take ownership of…your thoughts, your words and ultimately your feelings. Master these three things and you will live the peaceful, loving and happy life that you have imagined.
If people advance confidently in the direction of their dreams,
and endeavor to live the life which they have imagined,
they will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
and endeavor to live the life which they have imagined,
they will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
-Henry David Thoreau
Maybe these spiritual leaders, philosophers and great thinkers in academia had a little morsel of truth that we can learn from. Maybe there is great wisdom in letting go of old thought patterns that no longer serve us. Maybe it’s time for a radical paradigm shift in how we perceive the world. By embracing the power of thought we reclaim our personal power for choice and change. We are then able to bring forth our ultimate potential for healing, happiness, success and inner peace.
Namaste-
Tonya Elliott-Walker LMFT
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