Thursday 26 February 2015

THINK..on this!


Think....True
Think....Honest
Think....Just
Think....Pure
Think....Lovely
Think....Good Report
Think....Virtuous
Think....Praiseworthy


I was lying in my bed one morning, my mind was racing around as usual. It was normal for me to be constantly thinking. Yes, I know we all think but some of us are 'busy thinkers' - lots of activity..lots! Not necessarily 'smarter' but definitely faster! STOP!


BREATHE.....


I soon realised I was doing it again. I was arguing, debating with others in my mind abut a non-existent (had not happened yet!) situation.
'Think things through', that was an understatement in my head. I would think it through over & over again, sometimes with various permutations, sometimes with one. I had created a whole movie in my head. I had 'gone all the way down the road', 'ain't no stopping me now' kind of movement. 'Worst of all', the feelings that went along with that movie or permutation, came along with it, I felt them!
The reason i quote 'worst of all' is because they were not positive thoughts. I was in defence mode protecting my idea, opinion, point of view, my right!!

That morning, I was battling as usual and the thought came to me (as it had before) to 'stop, calm down', bringing my mind softly to peace. That's when the Bible scripture came up 'Think on these things (this can be found in Phillipians chapter 4:verse 8).

I looked at my thoughts and felt that they were not pure and lovely. They may have been true and honest but in whose world? only mine. Remember: Nothing had happened yet, only what I imagined could happen.

Wisdom: Of course, it is good to 'think things through'. It would be silly not to but we need to consider what filters we are using to do that. How do you think?

I feel i am a positive person but am I? I am a leader, I experience challenges most days at work, home and socially. I am not afraid to give my opinion and naturally there will be some people who have a different opinion.

I feel I am an 'open' person always trying to understand others and accepting others where they are. This too is a challenge. It challenges my own values, beliefs, thoughts and feelings.

Looking in the mirror, sometimes I can see myself clearly, sometimes I become aware of a part of myself and sometimes I cannot see myself at all. It becomes a new day of learning, awareness and accepting.

Accepting myself is easy when it is a nice trait or characteristic, for example, generousity, kindness, patience, empowerment BUT, when it is not so nice like anger, intolerance, impatience or judgement then accepting seems harder to swallow. Now, when I refer to 'accepting', I don't mean embracing, I mean acknowledging. I can then begin to adjust my thoughts, feelings and behaviour around those things. Sounds easy...'Yeah, easier said than done'.

What I began to understand, as many meditators do, was if I think on 'true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy things, my mind became calmer, less stressed. I learnt that I could have the same thoughts but rework the 'movie', creating the positive from the negative.

As in older photography processing - a photo was taken on a roll of film called 'a negative'. Once processed, it developed from a negative to a beautiful picture.

We can do this with our thoughts. Processing any negatives to beautiful pictures - true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy thoughts. It will bring us peace.

To obtain continuous peace of mind, the process is to be received, seen, heard, learnt, spoken, tried, lived....Do it! simply 'Think on these things'.




I describe.................YOU decide.










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