Over-thinking causes stress!…

Hi everyone,

Did you know that the average person thinks approximately 40,000 – 60,000 thoughts per day?  And with the fastness of time it continues to increase – bringing with it many side-effects such as depression, anxiety, anger, violence, stress and disease – just to name a few.

Running Self Empowerment programs, it’s clear that many struggle to recognise their inner power due to being unaware of the Power of their own Mind. This is merely an observation not a judgement, as I too have walked in their shoes. And though I have many tools now to help me stay on track, I still need to remain constantly vigilant as to what is going on in my mind, as the wind can change direction many times and very sudden. If I want to remain happy, light and empowered I need to remain stable and unshakable. So it’s my fortune to be able to share what I’m learning with others, as each time it reinforces my own understanding and awareness :)…

When I recognise that I am the Master of my Mind, then I accept that I am the Creator of my thoughts (the seeds of my actions), my attitude and my life. Being the Master Creator, it is up to me to check and change myself on a regular basis – this means that I need to go within and check my inner environment many times a day, if I am to have some semblance of peace in my life. The old paradox is clear here – the more discipline, the more freedom!

I want to share 5 types of thought with you that is taught in the Brahma Kumaris Positive Thinking Courses around the world, in the hope that it may help you to recognise the types of thought we create, invite and cater for. In doing so, it may help change some thought patterns and therefore change some actions, to create healthier patterns in life.

1. Necessary Thoughts: such as names, phone numbers, addresses, tasks that must be done throughout the day.
2. Wasteful Thoughts: Majority of our thoughts are wasteful and not necessarily negative, understanding the difference is a huge step forward. These consist of worrying, regretting, fretting ie.. What if; If only; I should have / could have / would have; Why is this happening to me; How can I….; It’s not fair that…..
3. Negative Thoughts: Thoughts that are life-draining – that create and sustain anger, greed, guilt, comparisons, criticism, complaints, manipulation, controlling, destructive (sabotaging) etc
4. Positive Thoughts: Thoughts that are uplifting and life-giving – that are beneficial not destructive such as thoughts of love, peace, tolerance, cooperation, courage, encouragement, supportive
5. Universal Thoughts: Thoughts for the higher good of all – thoughts that include worldly benefit.

Our Mind is like our inner garden – the flowers are our positive thoughts, our inner strengths and our innate qualities – strengthened by love, attention, nurturing and nourishment. The weeds are our negative and wasteful thoughts and behaviours – strengthened by fear, attention, nurturing and nourishment – make no mistake, we readily nurture and nourish negativity, often in an unconscious way. So pay real close attention to what you wish to grow and how you nourish it!… Here’s a key, nourish and nurture what you want, NOT what you don’t want!… Below is a short visualisation exercise to help understand our mind a little deeper…

Using your imagination – picture in your mind’s eye – a beautiful garden. A place where rainbow coloured flowers weave their way through lush carpets of evergreen grass, spread between tall majestically swaying trees. A place filled with fragrance to delight all of your bodily senses. As you see yourself sitting calmly amongst this tapestry of growth, with the warm spring breeze gently caressing your upturned face  – a smile appears on your face – you’re happy…

Now imagine this garden being overrun by weeds, unwelcome intruders that wrap themselves around and smother all that is beautiful. You feel helpless as you watch the slow but definite suffocating of your happy place and you begin to feel heavy and weighed down. All that remains is a growing wilderness and you feel lost, as the life is subtly being squeezed out of the wilting flowers… What do you do?…….You kill off the weeds – you finish them – that’s what you DO 🙂

Question: Do I lovingly accept and use my strengths or do I compulsively feed negative and wasteful thoughts?

Consideration: If I love my special qualities, why do I allow negativity to strangle them?

Action:  Using what’s known to the Brahma Kumaris as ‘Traffic Control’ give yourself 60 seconds every waking hour to apply a firm brake. This gentle exercise enables you to breathe, to slow down and smell the flowers, to change direction or to simply start again. Traffic Control is a wonderfully gentle way, to check the ‘traffic’ in your mind (or to check what’s growing) and to change it instantly when needed. This helps manage your thoughts, your actions and your attitude – changing it from destructive to constructive, from stifling to blossoming.

Affirmation: I am a thinking being, I cannot stop thinking but I can control the quality and the quantity of my thoughts. I can apply a firm brake, I can slow down and I can even change direction.

Love Annemarie