The Power Of Thought

The Power Of Thought

The power of thought.

So… you know THE SECRET?

It’s no secret.
But good on those who’ve got the message of the power of thought out there and made a living doing it.
We’ve all conjured a thing or two in our lives – even without realising it, we’re shaping things. But when we put our minds to shaping the things? Well… it can quite literally be mind blowing what you can bring about.

 

A girlfriend of mine, after a painful (aren’t they all) relationship breakup, wrote a wish list for all the things she hoped her next serious relationship would bring.  Two weeks later she met someone and viewing that list again recently it turns out her now partner of ten years, ticks every single box she’d written down at that time. She’d put it all out there, nothing outrageous, but well thought out, very specific to her needs, seeking her complimentary opposite, her physical requirements in a partner, the type of lifestyle and home they would have, the daughter or child she hoped they’d bring into the world. It’s remarkable to look at her list now and see that what she put out there is exactly what she got.

 

The power of thought, over the years has been viewed quite differently in various cultures. It’s a huge and immense topic, and it’s been examined and re-examined and there are many schools of ‘thought’ around thoughts. What they are, where the come from, how they are shaped, what we do with them.
Also there’s loads of literature and famous puzzling’s. One book, by Steven Pinker – a cognitive scientist – ‘How the mind works’ delves into the human mind’s functions and quirks. Another one about how you can rewire your brain – recreating neural pathways, even structure and function and therefore the thoughts that flow through. It’s dense and full of amazing stories but just pick up one at a time and read in small bits (that’s my rec anyway), it’s called The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge and it’s epic!

 

Louise L Hay has famously been harnessing the power of intention to help shape positive thoughts and outcomes for many years, so many of us have clutched one of her books or heard her quoted.

 

By definition, ‘the act of thinking produces thoughts.’ Our thoughts can be shaped by our experiences, our inherited experiences, our environments, culture, religion, age, access to education… so many things.

 

For this blog I’m talking about the mental process where our brains form thoughts, ideas, assessments, ask questions, and come to conclusions about whatever it is. These thoughts could change. The outcomes then could change too. Our thoughts may or may not be true, but if we believe them to be true, they will be (even if they are not). I’m not talking about imagining a piece of cake in the fridge and it will arrive there, although how good would that be. But if you intentionally think about, wish for, conjure a positive outcome often times it will come. ‘I was just thinking about cake!’ When your friend pops in with some etc etc.

 

‘I am no good at maths.’ I always believed that, until I had to use it for business, work with figures in a practical way, process abstract things, find solutions to problems. Now, I might not believe that original thought to be true. Through experience my thought has changed. Put me next to Einstein though and he’d probably think ‘She is no good at math’s.’ (Fair enough! But let’s not compare). I’m not thinking I’m no good at math’s anymore, I’m thinking, I’ve worked a few things out since then, so that’s no longer as true as it used to be.

 

There’s also the fake it until you make it approach. We weren’t born walking talking and doing math’s. We learned those things, we aspired to them, we were surrounded by them, mimicked them until we could do it for ourselves. So useful when it comes to confidence building. Try and project it, dress for it, ‘act like it’s happening already’ for long enough and you’ll likely get there. It’s human nature.

 

Try the power stance for example, some experts say it works, others don’t. But the mind is so incredibly flexi and personal – who is to say something isn’t working for YOU. The experts are not inside your brain and thoughts that are specific to your circumstances, culture, experiences etc etc. The brain is a huge and complicated – amazing beast! Einstein had a brain that was 15% wider… now that’s an anomaly. No wonder he was good at math’s. But that’s an example of just how different things can be from person to person.

 

When I was in workshops for Micro Fascial Unwinding, we did the ‘power stance’. Which is basically shoulders back, head up and standing confidently. Over a matter of time / practice and repetition it’s suggested this will increase hormone release, breath flow and continued practice – a change in attitude. It felt good, body and mind together creating a more confident way to stand in the world.

 

If we were to sit in a darkened room thinking gloomy thoughts for a while it is obviously going to have a negative effect. If we are experiencing fresh air, light, exercise and taking time to think happier thoughts and stand in strength it’s going to be positive for us, and that’s a ‘no brainer?’ isn’t it?

 

Being intrinsically you… being the best you you can be, or at least practicing what that might look like until it does look like that. What’s to lose?

 

Stand strong.

Xoxo
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