Over and Over

Over and Over

Here is a curious fact:  Most of our thoughts are habitual. It’s only something like 12% of our

thoughts are new.

Here’s another curious fact: Our emotions and feelings are a direct, physical result of our thoughts.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I like to think that I’m all free will and independent thinking, but I’m not. You aren’t, either. Our brains like to go down familiar paths, so if I’m going to have my independent thoughts, I will have to work at it.

There are interesting features about this habitual thinking.

Feature one: We are mostly unaware of our habit thoughts.

Feature two: We have the sense that our habit thoughts are new and fresh.

Feature three: Our habit thoughts create our mood, and general state of being. This, in turn, has a huge impact on our well being.

If I feel crummy, I am in a habit thought loop.

Isn’t that good news? It means I can flip that crummy feeling just by thinking about something else.

We are capable of so much. We are loaded with amazing skills and talents, experiences, and, when we apply our brilliant minds, world-changing, innovative ideas that we can implement.

We will change the world.

When I practice creative thought, things change. My mood changes, my behavior changes, my environment changes. When I recognize that I am capable, and own it, and exercise it, I can transform my life from something I get through each day to something I love living.

As I practice my new thoughts, I carve new pathways in my brain. The more I practice it, the easier it gets, and the quicker I notice when I am in a thought loop.

The best way I have found to get my creative thinking going is with Creative Questions. All I need to do is identify the old habit thought: life is hard, for example. Then I turn it into Creative Questions.

Why would life be easy? How could life be easy? What makes my life so easy? How have I changed from thinking life is hard, to knowing it’s all so easy?

We spend an enormous amount of time cultivating bad habits, bad thoughts, bad behaviors, bad attitudes, creating a life that is pinchy and not very fun. If we spent half that time cultivating good thoughts and habits, we’d be well on our way to living our natural lives of peace and joy, satisfaction and happiness.

How have I changed from living in thoughtless habit to notice, and changing, my old thoughts?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2013 all rights reserved 072021013