Most of us have heard the saying “your thoughts create your reality” or “change your thoughts and you can change your world.”
Why are thoughts supposedly as powerful as they are? How do I even apply this in my everyday life? Is this even possible? I have asked all those questions so I hope this will simplify and demystify for you our uncanny ability to create with our thinking. Thoughts are definitely a thing. They are powerful, energetic, preemptive, and they determine the course of our life in any given moment. Our thinking can very quickly catapult us into the vision of our dreams, or just as easily into what we fear the most. Many don’t realize the power of the mind. That it holds the key to our happiness, or the dismantling of our existence.
Our mind is the most powerful computer in this world. Much like the software in a computer, our mindset needs constant updating. This allows those “bug fixes” to give way to higher functioning, expanded consciousness, elevated thinking, effortless living, as well as overall health. The reality is, whatever is happening around us is a direct reflection of what is happening within us, and what is happening within us is a direct reflection of what is happening around us. And it all starts in the mind. We cannot avoid it, we cannot run from it, because wherever we go, we must take ourselves with us. It’s easy to brush this idea off. We all do it. It is the part of our nature that wants to avoid what is uncomfortable, what feels like too much work, but I assure you, this understanding and practice will only create more freedom, ease, and what you desire most, to feel good.
Thoughts are energy so where our mind goes our energy flows. At the most fundamental level, thoughts are subatomic particles moving in and out of our shared energy field. They also initiate the movement of energy in our body by way of feelings. The mind and body are always communicating. As we think we are creating the energy that is in direct alignment with our thoughts. With the mind body connection, the body is a faithful servant, taking orders from the mind to determine our physical experience. To change our reality we have to change our experience of it. To change our experience of it we have to change our thoughts and our feelings. How we think, feel, and act is what creates our personality. How we experience the world on a daily basis, our reality, is determined by our personality. So in essence, we have to become greater than the person that is thinking to actually change our thinking. Yikes. Don’t worry, I elaborate on this later.
How do you shift a reality with the same mind that created it? How is it that we can even take hold of our mind with our mind? Can we really learn to shift our whole state of being with our thinking? You definitely can. And you can learn to utilize the mind’s power to create more of the experiences that you do desire, and less of what you don’t.
As humans we have many superpowers, one of which is called metacognition. This is our ability to step outside of ourselves and be an observer. Metacognition is a big word for something that most of us are doing everyday that we aren’t even conscious to. The idea, the trick, the superpower is when we become consciously aware of this process. We become aware of and connect to the part of ourselves that is consciously aware. You can take a moment to digest this if necessary. Practicing this is what allows us to become unattached from our thinking mind. It is a practice of detaching from the mind so that we can then become greater and more powerful. Again, we all know you cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it. So, to change your reality with your mind is to make the mind work differently than how it is used to working. To do this we must become aware of the information that is circulating (thoughts) so that we can give it something new. Each time you give it something new, something different, you are making a new connection in your brain. Therefore, disempowering states, negative emotions, and destructive thought patterns, can all be permanently shifted. The programming can in fact be updated.
Majority of our thoughts are automatically programmed in the subconscious mind. 95% of who we are by the time we are 35 is just memorized beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, emotional reactions, and perceptions. This also means we are operating at a 5% conscious level with 95% of our brainpower potentially working against us. As we live by the same programs, we continue producing the same state of mind, thus the same results, and the same reality. Waking up from our programmed reality is like turning on a light. Conscious awareness is our greatest tool in doing so. It is a decision to pay attention to our attention. Think about what we are thinking about. Get curious about what is going on under the hood. Once we build this awareness, it is as simple as choosing a different thought or new information which will lead to a new experience. This new experience creates new emotions, those new emotions then create new evolved thinking, that new evolved thinking then leads us to a different reality, a greater reality, a reality we design.
***Here is an example:
You have a disempowering thought (not enough, insecure, unworthy, fear, etc). We all have them. What happens? You are disempowered. You feel afraid. You play the narrative that you are not good enough. When you are in a state of disempowerment you are generating more disempowering thoughts, which leads to disempowering choices and behaviors, which then creates more disempowering feelings in your body. Again, your mind and body are always working together to create your state of being. The faithful servant is just doing it’s job. How you tell the body to feel (with your thoughts) it will generate feelings. This can quickly lead to a feedback loop. We can easily get caught in our own thought cycles, create a belief that this state of being is who we are, and then unconsciously attract more experiences that support this reality. And the saga continues.
Here’s the good news. The amazing and wonderful news. Just as easily as we can disempower and dismantle our reality, we can also empower, build, and create a reality of our greatest imagination.
Ok, fantastic but how do I do this?
Here is a simplified practice that you can begin implementing. Remember, practicing means consistency and with consistency your mind will begin to automatically work in this new way.
1. Practice pausing. Creating space between our thinking mind and our body’s reaction to it is key. Identify where your thoughts are. Notice what you are thinking about in any given moment. Pay attention to how this aligns with what you are feeling in your body. This is the mind body connection. Pay attention to it.
2. Practice curiosity. Practice asking yourself investigative questions. “Are these thoughts, the meaning I am giving this situation, the narrative or belief that is playing, is it in alignment with how I desire to feel?” “Is what I am thinking about moving me closer to the reality I desire?“ “Are my thoughts bringing me more life and power, or taking it away?” Become the gatekeeper of your mind.
3. Practice opening yourself to greater wisdom. When a new perspective is needed or when a disempowering thought pattern is keeping you stuck, open yourself to greater knowledge and guidance. For me this is a simple prayer, “help me to see this in a different way”. My favorite is “allow me to see this through the teacher of love, peace, and truth.” Whatever your beliefs, that is ok, you can definitely ask for divine help. Never will your asking be in vain.
4. Practice choosing the new way. Whether it’s an empowering thought over a disempowering thought. A new and healthy mindset over an old unhealthy one. A greater perspective over a used up limiting belief. Choose the thoughts that move you towards your vision instead of what you fear. We must take action. Nothing changes if nothing changes.
5. Practice practicing. Repetition is key in creating new ways of being. Don’t give up if you feel wonky at first. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. You’ve spent a lot of time and energy creating your current reality so it may take some effort for the new way to stick. Mindset is just our first step. To fully embody a life of peace, abundance, joy, connection, and fulfillment, we have to stay committed to aligning with it. Stay focused on the reality you desire most!
At the end of the day there is no denying the power of your thoughts. There is no hiding from something that is so real and exact that it can either be harnessed for extreme good, or leveraged for mass destruction.
It is your choice in how to use it. Choose wisely.