“The mind is what the mind is fed.”
David J. Schwartz
In 2003, a guy named Morgan Spurlock decided to go on a fast food-only diet for 30 days. The dramatic ill effects he experienced physically, psychologically, and emotionally were featured in the documentary Supersize Me.
Few would miss the simple but powerful lesson from Spurlock’s experiment:
You are what you eat.
Yet, so many of us fail to grasp this related truth:
You are what you think.
We freely consume the equivalent of junk food for our minds by believing the negative thoughts our minds generate. We allow them to dictate our moods. We allow them to influence our most important decisions. And we let them choke off our positive and hopeful thoughts like weeds in a beautiful garden.
The power of our thoughts
Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. They can shape our reality and influence our behavior in profound ways.
That’s why it’s so important for us to be mindful of our thoughts and to question them critically. Just because we believe something doesn’t mean it’s true. We must constantly check our beliefs against reality to ensure they remain accurate.
If we can do that, we can be empowered by our thoughts instead of being controlled by them. We can use them to create the lives we want instead of living in a false reality.
Reactive versus responsive thoughts
Reactive thoughts are the initial or random ideas that pop into our minds throughout our daily lives. These thoughts are primarily negative. For instance, if someone cuts you off in traffic, your first thought is more likely to be, “Boy, he’s a jerk,” rather than “Oh, he must be dealing with an emergency.”
If a work colleague offers constructive feedback on any given day, your first thought might be, “She thinks I’m terrible at this job,” rather than thoughts of gratitude and appreciation.
The gentler, more considerate thoughts in both examples are responsive rather than reactive.
The problem is that we latch on to the reactive thoughts before allowing the more responsive ideas to form fully. As a result, these negative, reactive thoughts become the foundation of our beliefs about life as we engage them over and over.
Reactive thoughts can lead to disempowering beliefs, such as the belief that you are a victim of your circumstances or that you have no control over your life.
How to start questioning your thoughts
To start questioning your thoughts, you first must become aware of them. Pay attention to the stream of consciousness that flows through your mind throughout the day. Once you start noticing your thoughts, you can begin to question them.
Why do I think this? Is this thought helpful or harmful? What would be possible if I didn’t believe this thought?
Asking yourself these questions can help you to critically examine your thoughts and beliefs, and determine whether or not they are positively serving you. If a certain thought is causing you anxiety or distress, it may be worth challenging it in order to see if it is actually true.
You don’t have to believe everything that you think. By learning to question your thoughts, you can gain more control over your emotions and reactions and create a more positive outlook on life.
How to cultivate responsive thoughts
The simplest way to cultivate responsive thinking is to give yourself time. Allow the initial reactive thoughts to work themselves out without becoming attached to them.
As more accurate, nuanced, and considerate thoughts begin to occur to you, start exploring them with a sense of curiosity and openness. Over time, you will find yourself working your way through negativity faster. You will then have firmer ground on which to build more empowering and helpful beliefs.
You are what you think
It’s easy to believe that we are powerless against the thoughts that come to us. But the truth is, we are not powerless. We can choose what we want to think about and decide which thoughts are worth believing.
Every thought is an opportunity to practice our power of choice. When you catch yourself entertaining a thought that doesn’t serve you, choose to believe in something more empowering instead. This is how we create our reality – by choosing which thoughts to accept.
So ditch the mental junk food. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you for it.
Thank you very much for this, it’s being aware and taking action
That’s right!
Thanks, Cylon.
I try to remember what I discovered when shopping and believing I’d found a bargain! Before rushing to purchase, I take a deep breath, walk away and think of something else for at least a few moments. When the ‘rush’ of excitement has subsided, I reassess if the bargain really is such and if I really need it.
I am just now reading this 2-year-old post. I could have used it 2 years ago!! ha ha I admire your clarity of thinking, your wisdom, and I count myself blessed to know you! As you can see, I’m playing catch-up.