Taking Our Thoughts Captive

I was skyping with a loved one the other morning about the need to take our thoughts captive and then later that same day I met a friend for lunch at the Rawthentic Eatery and the same topic came up concerning her eldest daughter.  And then later when I got 'home' in the afternoon I was scheduled to listen to a teleclass called "Harnessing Your Negative Thoughts For Success".  I decided to make a concerted effort to listen between poopy diapers and running 'chicken pox baths' and all the other stuff moms have to deal with, and I'm glad I did.

It wasn't like this was rocket science.  The talk was very basic.  It was really a continuation from previous discussions of the day.   But it was kind of an ah-huh moment. 

This fella (David Koons) was just pointing out that all of us get negative thoughts coming into our brains.  It happens to the best of us.  Everybody.

The difference between negative thinkers and positive thinkers is what thoughts they start to ponder.  Which thoughts do they give attention to. 

If we all get negative thoughts, then we don't need to feel guilty for having them.  They just come.  Stop judging ourselves for getting those nasty thoughts.    And we don't need to start trying to figure them out. 

We just Got them.   A fact.

But when we realize that thoughts are energy,  and they can be used for either the good or the bad, we are the ones in control of deciding for what they will be used for!!  It's our choice.  We give the thoughts power by choosing which ones we are going to focus on.

David said that we should recognize the Stinkers, and like a smelly fart ;)  just open up the window and let that Stinker go.  Don't hold onto that thought.  Don't entertain it.  Don't empower it.  Just let it go.

If we keep those negative thoughts, we start to get more and more of those unsupportive, destructive thoughts about other people or about ourselves and we find we are in a downward spiral, sucking the life and energy out of our very being. 
 
On the other hand, if a positive thought comes, be sure to grab onto it.  Give it energy.  Focus on it.  Let it expand into more positive thoughts. 

I haven't been a fan of Positive Thinkers in the past.  Not exactly sure why. But I do think they have some very good points to make.  And science says that positive thinking does have positive influences in our lives.  So, positive thinking works, but what David was saying was rather a choosing to focus on positive thoughts, and dismiss the negative.  

We are going to have negative thoughts and events, but what do we focus on???
What do we do with the Negative thoughts?

For every reason you can give as to why you aren't good enough, we could find a reason why you ARE good enough!!!

Philippians 4:8

 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.




PS.  Our eldest daughter Layne just started a(nother) blog this week and she posted a bit about the same thing here.