Using Powerful Thoughts to Create Your Reality

What this episode covers

Powerful thoughts is a new concept to me. I am familiar with the notion of positive thinking and have given it a try in many different circumstances. For a while I used positive thinking to try and bring a challenging relationship with a co-worker up to a higher level of communication. Every morning I would spend several minutes repeating a mantra along the lines of “Joanie and I are communicating honestly and fairly….Joanie and I are communicating openly and seeking to understand each other’s points of view…” etc. Some days it worked to put me in an open space of possibility, but most days all it did was bring to mind previous emotionally taxing, negative conversations and interactions. But, I kept at it diligently, completely ignorant to the fact that instead of creating the healthy relationship I wanted, I was solidifying the detrimental one. I didn’t believe what I was saying and my mind helped me out with examples that supported my disbelief. You see I was not paying attention to what Mary Lore calls, my follow-up thoughts. How to Tell the Difference Between Positive and Powerful Thoughts In our conversation about positive thoughts versus powerful ones, Mary points out that one way to tell the difference between the two is to pay attention to your follow-up thoughts after the initial thought. If your follow-up thoughts deflate you, make you feel fearful or unmotivated, the initial thought is not a powerful thought no matter how positive is sounds. However, if your follow-up thoughts uplift, motivate, and energize you, the initial thought is a powerful thought. In my example above if I had shifted my focus from the interaction between Joanie and I and placed it on myself, I would have felt empowered. Thoughts along the lines of “I am being my true, loving authentic self in all my interactions with Joanie and others…” would have uplifted and motivated me to be they type of person I strive to be. Mary points out that what works for one person will not work for another. And what works for years will one day stop working. The trick is to be flexible and creative with your thoughts and always check in with yourself to see how you feel. Are your shoulders tense or relaxed? Are you smiling or frowning? Do you feel light or heavy inside? These are all indications of whether or not you are thinking powerful thoughts versus positive ones.

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