Thought Patterns To Create Success

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Let's say you're ready to change some aspect of your life - perhaps the way you eat or how much you weigh. If you've ever decided to create a permanent change in your life before, you know it's going to take a lot more than simply acting (i.e. eating or dieting) differently.

What's required for permanent change is a shift in your old limiting self-talk and lots of positive energy.

To achieve permanent transformation, you're going to have to tap into your own inner power. And this is where the energy of your words and thoughts comes in.

Success is built on a solid foundation of positive thoughts and feeling good. Your words, thoughts, ideas and belief systems are the key players in building such a strong and solid foundation.

They set the stage for the way you experience everything in your life.

Negative thinking habits, on the other hand, can have a devastating effect on your outcome. Negative thoughts continually create bad feelings and cause misery or upset over life circumstances.

Here's where the vicious cycle continues. You have negative thoughts....

... you feel bad....

....you find some way to feel better (eat, binge, anorexia, purge, drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, etc.).

The truth is, we're designed to feel good. That's our natural state and what we're always trying to come back to. Your overeating may in part be an attempt to feel better.

There's lots of ways to feel better. But if you can learn to speak gently to yourself in the first place, you can save yourself from feeling bad!

Negative thinking patterns are "learned ways" of thinking.

The following lists some of the most common types of destructive thinking patterns that occur:

All or Nothing Thinking:   Sometimes referred to as black & white thinking, or absolute thinking. This is the type of thinking that states,

• "I've already blown it. I might as well give up on the rest of the day."

If a situation falls short of 100% perfection, you see it as a total failure.

i.e., if you've binged for 1 meal, or didn't exactly follow your plan for the day, you think you've blown it completely. This train of thought is easy to get caught up in & it can be very damaging to your success.

Over-generalization: You see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat. This type of thinking uses words such as "always" & "never."

Though these 2 words seem harmless, they can distort your view of reality. If one negative event occurs, you might think, "It's just my luck. Nothing good ever happens to me."

While this statement might be true some of the time, chances are there'as been at least one exception to it. Holding onto this "always" & "never" attitude simply keeps you from seeing the truth as it really is. It's negative & self-defeating.

Catastrophizing & Minimizing: This type of thinking does 2 things:

• It sees the positive results of your actions as smaller than they really are.

• It exaggerates the negative results of your actions.

This thinking may also inappropriately shrink your achievements down until they seem insignificant, while you obsessively dwell on what is 'wrong' with you.

Sometimes this is referred to as:

 "making a mountain out of a mole hill."

Disqualifying the Positive  This is an extreme form of all-or-nothing thinking without the "all"!

All the positive messages & actions are deleted or rejected. The positive experiences just "don't count" & we only attend to the negative. You pick out a single negative detail & dwell on it - discounting any other evidence to the contrary.

This negative thought darkens everything else that has preceded. i.e., you lost 30 pounds. But for some reason gained back 5 of those pounds. Negative thinking dwells entirely on the 5 gained back, darkening the entire situation.

Discounting the positive takes the joy out of life & makes you feel inadequate & unrewarded.

Emotional Reasoning You assume that your emotions reflect the way things really are. This thinking states, I feel it, therefore it must be true."

In truth, it's most likely the old tapes that are playing in your head that's creating the emotions that you're feeling. This takes emotional reasons as evidence of truth.

"I feel frustrated, I'll never get thru this."

Should Statements You try to motivate yourself with should statements, such as,

• "I should be eating healthy"
• "I should not eat that"
• "I should have lost more weight by now."
• "I should start exercising."

Often it's habit to use words such "should", "shouldn't", "have to", "must" & "must not" in an attempt to create change. These are negative, action-stopping words. If you feel you should do something, then it's something you don't want to do but for some reason feel obligated to do.

How about... "I need to eat healthy, because I value myself?"

You try to motivate yourself with should & shouldn't, as if you have to be whipped or punished before you could be expected to do anything. The emotional consequence of using should on yourself is guilt - which tends not to be an effective long-term motivator.

Labeling & Disparaging Underlying labeling is the thought that if I hate myself enough, maybe I'll change. Instead of describing your action, you judge yourself harshly.

A label or insults are applied such as,

• "I'm a failure"
• "I'm fat & ugly"
• "I'm such a stupid idiot."

Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself.

Judging yourself harshly never helps the process of self-awareness or understanding. These statements are likely to cause massive emotional swings of anger, frustration & low self-esteem.

Mental Filter You concentrate so strongly on a single negative detail & dwell on it so exclusively that your vision of reality becomes darkened. An analogy is like the single drop of ink that discolors an entire beaker of water.

Your automatic thoughts all deal with this one concern. If, i.e., you ran out of time on a previous test, you may find yourself so preoccupied with the time limit that you have trouble concentrating on the questions.

Personalization You see your self as the cause of some negative external event, which in fact you were not primarily responsible for.

*Things you ARE responsible for:

• your attitude
• your behavior
• your actions
• your boundaries
• what you say & who you say it to
• if & how you express emotions
• who your friends are
• where you live
• what you do for work
• what you do for self care & fun
• your values & belief systems
• what family members you stay connected to
• what self talk you allow to continue
• Whether we do personal growth work or not
• what you eat or don't eat

*Things you're NOT responsible for:

• what other people think of you
• other people's life decisions
• other people's thoughts / feelings
• other people
• your genetic body type
• the past
• life, just as it is
• life is unpredictable
• suffering
• change is inevitable
• grief & loss are inevitable
• emotions are inevitable
• certain people may or may not want to be with you
• whether people are honest
• intimacy requires risk & vulnerability

(* From Francie White, MS, RD Inner Escapes Workshops)

Constructive Self Questions Only you can decide to alter your mental dialog. You alone are the pattern maker & breaker of your own existence.

The first step is to explore (without judgment) what you're thinking. Are your thoughts encouraging & loving, or a depressing mix of fear, doubt & punishment?

Watch your thoughts & write them down on paper.

What am I thinking or dwelling on?

Am I seeing the whole truth?

How does this thought make me feel?

Which of the above thought patterns am I using?

Is it really true? How do I know?

Can I look at this another way?

What would I say to a friend in this situation if I was trying to help?

What am I needing right now to feel differently?

We Dig Thinking Ruts

3 natural thinking patterns predominate in this culture. While as individuals we can change these patterns, we tend to have a favorite pattern that becomes automatic in many circumstances.

Each of these patterns has pluses & minuses. Awareness of your favorite pattern can lead to lessening of the minuses associated with it.

Let me call the 1st, the young thinking pattern.

This pattern is characterized by a strong sense of right & wrong. The right / wrong thinking of this pattern was usually taken on, without any modification, directly from parenting figures, society or religious teachings.

There have been few, if any, changes in this thinking caused by direct experience since the pattern was incorporated, typically in childhood.

Whoever exhibits this pattern has a sense of rightness about their actions, their thinking, their responses & their lives.

Good self-esteem is possible. A definite plus!

The minuses, however, can be excruciating if a person doesn't fit the right / wrong image that's been incorporated.

i.e., some of my clients w/this pattern have difficulty feeling childhood anger at parents because they "should honor their parents."

They wind up displacing such "wrong" feelings onto others or covering them with addictions. To move beyond the minuses of this thinking pattern, there are two possibilities:

(1) change the pattern 

(2) change what's defined as "right."

For those more comfortable with the next 2 patterns, just the awareness of being in this right / wrong rut is often enough to start moving out of the pattern. For those most comfortable with right / wrong, however, the necessity for changing what's thought of as "right" is likely to be essential.

A 2nd thinking pattern commonly encountered in this culture is one resulting from the belief that you & I are really the same. If I think along these lines, you too (if only you weren't so defensive) must think the way I do.

I'll call this mature thinking, using the terminology (young, mature, old) as described in Messages from Michael (Yarbro 1983, 132-150). But I intend no judgment about the relative value of these 3 thinking patterns.

Togetherness & joining become important values for mature thinkers. Relationships are often rich & filled with empathy & understanding. Yes, a strong plus!

Another plus for such mature thinkers is their willingness to find out what's right & wrong for themselves instead of just acquiring another's ideas without testing.

The minuses often associated with this thinking pattern are enmeshments in unsatisfactory relationships, also anger, bewilderment & lack of understanding when people are really different.

i.e., if a mature thinking person with lots of idealism meets someone steeped in cynicism, understanding of the cynic will probably prove to be elusive. As there were for stuck young thinkers, there are 2 possibilities for stuck mature thinkers.

One possibility is that the mature thinker can come to believe that in some ways we are very different, which is part of the old thinking pattern.

Another possibility is to judge others as underdeveloped because they don't think the way the mature thinker does. Such judgments create the exact opposite of what the mature thinker wants (togetherness, unity & relationship).

The old thinking pattern is, "You do your thing & I'll do mine."

There's no need for us to be the same. Differences are celebrated, provided they don't interfere with my path.

This pattern's minuses of less togetherness & less certainty about many issues, while difficult, need not necessarily cause distress. This can be a thinking pattern of inner contentment & is recommended whenever possible.

Developing Control of Your Thought Process

Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." The proof of existence is that you think.

Where Do Thoughts Come From?

Medical science hasn't figured that out & maybe it'll take them a century or more. However, the ancient yogis of India had great understanding about the origin of thoughts.

Thoughts come from within & without. From within, thoughts come from the brain & the neuro-network. Yoga philosophy says that man is a tree upside down w/the roots on the top. The roots are the brain network. From without, the thoughts come from the akash (sky / space). The brain & the sky interact & create thoughts for human perception.

The individual soul, thru its ego consciousness guided by karma, only allows a select group of thoughts into your consciousness.

Why do we have to change our thoughts?

Thoughts decide our life. You become what you think. If you're preoccupied w/garbage thoughts, your life becomes garbage.

Similarly, if you think about noble or rewarding thoughts, then life takes shape accordingly.

Any thought is a limitation. The fully alert person has control over the thought process. Thought characterizes & defines you. It creates a reality.

A thought leads to an action & an action leads to success or failure. Success in life depends upon getting the right thought.

The purpose of thinking millions of thoughts is to somehow understand the nature of reality. But this is a very inefficient system.

We need to think only a handful of outrageous & unlimited thoughts. We should embrace unlimited thoughts & realize them. The body needs to translate the thoughts into reality, every cell needs to embrace the reality.

Thought energy is the most powerful energy at our disposal. You need to control the mind not to think useless thoughts. You should constantly check the mind & stop it from thinking useless thoughts.

Even observing your thoughts can shape your consciousness. When you watch your thoughts, the thought pattern will change. You break the patterns by gaining awareness & becoming more alert.

Awareness creates a spontaneous rejection of stupid thoughts or stupid actions.

How do we create more awareness?

If the body remains still, you immediately access more awareness. Particularly, you should keep the eyeballs still. Another way to increase awareness is by focusing on the breath. If your breathing is shallow, the mind will become calm.

So attention on the breath puts attention on the mind.

When a stupid thought comes in, just become alert. If you become totally alert & are fully present in the moment, then thoughts will disappear.

Become aware of your skin all over the body. Become aware of your breath & live in the moment. This will disallow the robot mode of thinking & acting.

Universal Thinking

Another technique to bring your consciousness to unlimited thinking is to move from individual consciousness to universal consciousness. How does this work? Let me give you an example.

One day around the deadline to file income tax returns, I was watching TV. A reporter asked the President if he filed his return. The President told the reporter he didn't know. How did he not know?

Because he gave someone else that job. His time is more precious.

By contrast, most of you spend your time taking care of your own personal needs. In the case of the President, he moved from personal consciousness to universal consciousness.

The President plays a large role nationally & internationally. He concentrates on the large concerns & must leave some of his personal business to others. It's very important to think beyond yourself.

When you being to have that type of thought, your consciousness expands to make your thinking universal.

What is the Inner Voice?

The Inner Voice  

Let me ask you this, do you talk to yourself?

Of course not, do you think I'm crazy!

But don't you always hear a voice in your head, making statements, asking questions, answering them? e.g., you might hear a voice in your head saying,

"It looks like a nice day, I think I'll take a walk. But rain has been forecast for today. Maybe I should take an umbrella. Yes, I think I will."

Guess what, you're not crazy, you're normal!!

We're always talking to ourselves during our waking hours, asking ourselves questions about what we should do next, where we should go, how we feel, etc. We actually "hear" an Inner Voice in our heads expressing these thoughts as we think them.

We not only hear our thoughts, but often the thoughts we hear are opposing ones, arguing w/each other as to whether or not we should do such things as go to the movies or study for an exam; or whether to eat ice cream, which we love, or to eat a carrot, when on a diet.

We'll actually carry on a conversation w/in ourselves, w/one side giving reasons via the Inner Voice why we should do the thing we desire & the other side saying why we shouldn't.

The Inner Voice is the means by which one mental system of the psyche convey thought messages to another, just as a telephone is the means by which 2 or more parties may converse w/one another.

Thus, although the Inner Voice appears to be but a single voice, it's actually the way the mental systems converse w/each other, as explained in the following.

The Spirited Mind generates thought & feeling impulses that relate to such things as its emotional needs & feelings. The feeling impulses act as stimuli that activate the left limbic system of the brain to generate electric impulses & chemical substances that cause the Conscious Mind to consciously experience these needs & feelings as emotions, such as:

• anger
• sadness
• loneliness
• joy
• happiness

The thought impulses are conveyed to Wernicke's area, where they're heard by the Conscious Mind as the Inner Voice expressing thoughts related to the emotions it's experiencing such as:

• "I'm angry at Joe." 
• "I feel so happy today."

Thus, the Conscious Mind experiences the feelings of the Spirited Mind (as emotions) & hears its thoughts (expressed thru the Inner Voice).

It also receives impulses from the senses associated w/external perceptual stimuli & w/internal bodily sensations. Any of these may stimulate the Conscious Mind to produce thoughts, which it hears as the Inner Voice saying such things as:

•  "I'm hungry, I think I'll get something to eat."

The thoughts of the Conscious & Spirited Minds expressed by the Inner Voice are also heard by the Rational Mind, which evaluates the propriety of executing any plan of action contemplated by the Conscious Mind, based upon the beliefs & standards of proper conduct that have been accumulated over the person's lifetime.

If the contemplated action of the Conscious Mind, such as eating chocolate cake, violates the established code of conduct, the Rational Mind will generate a thought such as,

"You know the doctor said you have to go on a diet."

The thoughts produced by the Rational Mind are conveyed to Wernicke's area & are heard as the Inner Voice by both the Conscious & Spirited Minds. Thus, the Inner Voice heard in one's head is the means used by the mental systems to converse among themselves.

But how does one know which voice is which?

Generally, the voice of the Spirited Mind expresses thoughts related to the innate emotional needs of the individual; that of the Conscious Mind, to the actions it's to take w/respect to what it's experiencing; & the voice of the Rational Mind expresses approval or disapproval of the plans or actions of the Conscious Mind, as well as being the source of analytical & problem solving thoughts.

In our everyday lives it is better not to be concerned w/which system is speaking, as it will just confuse us. All are valid expressions of the integrated personality of a person & warrant consideration.

But how is it possible for the Inner Voice to transmit thought messages among the mental systems of someone who has been born deaf, or worse yet, of someone like Miss Keller, who was both blind & deaf & never learned a verbal language & who, except as an infant, never even heard language spoken?

To answer this question, let us consider what occurs when someone speaks to us. When we hear someone speaking, the person's voice produces sound waves that impinge upon our ears & cause corresponding electric impulses to be generated & transmitted to various systems of the brain.

The Conscious Mind, somehow, is able to interpret these impulses in a manner that enables us to "hear" in our heads the voice of the person speaking to us. It should be emphasized that it's electric impulses, not sound waves, that are transmitted from the ears to systems of the brain & which cause the sound of the person's voice w/in the head, although the sound is interpreted as originating outside of the individual.

As stated before, the Conscious Mind never hears nor sees anything. It only receives electric impulses, from which it somehow is able to visualize & hear what's occurring in its external environment.

That the voice we hear when listening to another person speaking is produced by electric impulses is confirmed by an experiment whereby a young girl who had loss her hearing was equipped w/a tiny computer connected to electrodes appropriately implanted so as to bypass the impaired brain circuitry.

The computer transformed the sound waves from people speaking to the girl into electric impulses & transmitted them to the electrodes, which were connected to the brain circuitry that produces the sounds a person hears.

The girl was able to hear normally & could speak as well as any one her own age. It wouldn't surprise me if eventually artificial eyes were developed for the blind using tiny video cameras implanted in their eyes, probably in the corneas, so that the cameras could follow normal eye movements.

Be that as it may, just as the voice of someone we're listening to is perceived is in the form of electric impulses & interpreted as a human voice, so probably are the thoughts of our mental systems that are expressed by the Inner Voice generated in the form of electric impulses, although they're "heard" in our heads as if they were spoken words.

I don't understand how electric impulses can produce the voice of a person, or our Inner Voice, either.

The conversion of electric impulses to sound is an everyday occurrence. It's electric impulses that produce the voice one hears on the telephone & the sounds we hear coming from our radio or TV speaker is generated by electric impulses, as well.

Likewise, the source of the thoughts that are expressed are electric impulses, not words. Words are only symbols that represent thoughts. That's why a fruit can be given the name "apple" in English & "manzana" in Spanish.

These names are only symbols of the thought, or concept, of an apple, which thru custom have become associated it.

So, even though Helen Keller was unable to "hear" herself think by means of an Inner Voice as we do, for she had loss her hearing before she had learned a cultural language, she was still able to transmit thoughts between her mental systems thru use of the tactile language taught her by her teacher Anne Sullivan.

Rather than the "sound" of the word apple being associated w/the thing Miss Keller was holding in her hand, biting into & tasting, a certain sign written onto her hand by Miss Sullivan meant "apple" to Miss Keller, who was able to associate the written symbol w/the object she was holding & came to know what an apple is as well as you or I, although she couldn't see it.

Miss Keller was even able to understand abstract ideas like God & love, the same way as you or I do. We don't see these things, but we know of them thru experiencing them or by being told about them by others & by our minds' ability to grasp these concepts.

Likewise, Miss Sullivan told Helen about abstract ideas in tactile language & Helen's mind had the capacity to understand these concepts.

Thus, rather than the Inner Voice of Miss Keller's conveying electric impulses corresponding to words of a cultural language to communicate thoughts between her mental systems, the impulses conveying her thoughts corresponded to the tactile language she'd been taught by her teacher Miss Sullivan.

In fact, Miss Sullivan once remarked that Miss Keller remembers "in her fingers," because writing a sentence in the manual alphabet impressed it upon her mind & was stored in memory & could be recalled by her, just as we can call back words from our memories.

It was also observed, while Miss Keller was a student at Radcliffe College, that she "talks to herself, absent-mindedly writing her thoughts in her hand." This further gives credence to the idea that there's communication among the mental systems of the psyche, which in Miss Keller's case was accomplished by talking to herself using the tactile language she had learned.

So, it may be concluded that the ideas or thoughts of the mental systems of a person are communicated to each other by means of whatever language a person has learned. If the language is verbal, the Inner Voice expresses the thoughts in the particular cultural language the person has learned, English, Russian, Spanish, etc.

If the language learned is nonverbal, like tactile sensations, ideas & thoughts may be conveyed between them in that form rather than in words.

Although the mental systems communicate among themselves via the Inner Voice using the learned cultural language of the person, the communication of the Conscious Mind w/the Stimulus Response System Coordinator to order it to perform bodily movements, like walking or running & by the Spirited Mind w/the Coordinator to cause it to generate emotions, is thru the use of brain language.

The thought messages of the Rational & Spirited Minds, however, are communicated directly only to the other mental systems & not to the Stimulus Response System Coordinator.

How do you know the thoughts of the Rational & Spirited Mind aren't directly transmitted to the Stimulus Response System?

Because otherwise the Rational Mind would be able to impose its desires on it & the person would always act rationally, which is contrary to fact.

Or, there might be 2 opposing instructions to the Coordinator, which would be impossible to fulfill. As for thoughts of the Spirited Mind, these relate only to feelings, not to actions to be taken, so its thoughts would have no affect on producing behavioral responses.

Therefore, it's only the Conscious Mind that communicates its thoughts to the Stimulus Response System, although the Spirited Mind does convey its feelings to the Coordinator so that it may generate associated emotions. And as just stated, these are conveyed in brain language.

What is "brain language?"

Brain Language

Whether an English speaking person or a Spanish speaking person sees an apple the signals from the eyes are the same & in the form of electric impulses.

i.e., the visual impulses for an apple may be ++-+-, which are transmitted to the Conscious Mind of both an American & a Spaniard. When asked what each had seen, the American would say an apple, but the Spaniard would say, "manzana," which is an apple in Spanish, although the same impulses corresponding to the concept of an apple are transmitted to the Conscious Mind of each.

In the foregoing example the visual signals corresponding to the perceived apple may be considered to be transmitted to the mental systems in "brain language;" that is, certain visual signals represent to the mental systems the concept of an apple, while other visual signals would represent the concept of an orange.

The same visual signals represent the same concept to all peoples of the world, regardless of what name they might have given an object, be it apple or manzana.

The above applies to the signals transmitted by all the senses, as well, like auditory impulses from the hearing organs; that is, all sensory information is transmitted in brain language. And in order to effect bodily movements, the Conscious Mind transmits its signals to the Stimulus Response Coordinator in brain language.

Thus, the brain has its own universal language that's common to all the peoples of the world, which may be called by the term "brain language."

Pertaining to the feelings conveyed by the Spirited Mind to the Coordinator, feelings are also universal in nature & not culturally determined.

i.e., all cultures express sadness by crying & happiness by smiling or laughing. Thus, the feelings messages transmitted to the Coordinator consist of certain patterns of impulses that indicate which emotion the Coordinator should generate.

The pattern of impulses required for a particular emotion is inherent & universal regardless of the culture of the person & therefore the communication of the Spirited Mind w/the Coordinator may be considered to be in "brain language."

Then, brain language is inherent & universal, as opposed to cultural language, which is learned & peculiar to a particular group of people.

But why are the thought messages of the Conscious Mind transmitted to the Stimulus Response Coordinator in brain language rather than in cultural language, like its communication w/the other mental systems?

That brain language is the means used by the Conscious Mind to transmit signals to the Coordinator in order to effect motor responses to stimuli can be explained as follows.

Let's consider the case of an infant who has no knowledge of a cultural language, who reaches out to touch a toy. To reach out for the toy requires an order be issued to the motor systems to move the infant's arm. The motor systems don't initiate bodily movements of their own accord; they react only when stimulated.

The "something" ordering the response is the Conscious Mind, which is responding to the sight of the toy. It sends a thought signal to the Stimulus Response System Coordinator, which controls the operations of the motor systems, telling it to activate the "reaching mechanism."

Upon receiving the signal, the Coordinator activates the necessary muscles of the arm of the infant. The knowledge as to which signals are necessary to be transmitted to the Coordinator to cause it to initiate the arm movement, or any motor response, is inherent in the Conscious Mind. The signals are conveyed from the Conscious Mind to the Coordinator in brain language, as the infant has no knowledge of a cultural language.

Also, Helen Keller had no cultural language until after about the age of 7 when she learned one from Miss Sullivan, yet she was able to move about the same as anyone.

Thus, when she had a conscious desire to go into the garden, e.g., she must have conveyed this message to the Stimulus Response System Coordinator that controlled her motor systems by means of the only language available to her, brain language.

In addition, prehistoric human beings had no cultural language, but were able to move about. Therefore, in order to effect bodily movements, the transmission of all thought messages from the Conscious Mind to the Response Coordinator is in the universal brain language inherent in all the peoples of the world, rather than in cultural language. 

Why, then, do the mental systems transmit thought messages among themselves in cultural language rather than in brain language?

For some unknown reason, the Conscious Mind has awareness of stimuli only after their impulses are converted into sensations or perceptions.

• A need for nourishment is recognized by the Conscious Mind only after the sensation of hunger has been generated by the Stimulus Response System

• Visual & auditory signals are recognized by the Conscious Mind only after they're converted into the visions & sounds of the external world

• The feelings of the Spirited Mind are known only after they're converted to emotions

• Thoughts, including its own, are only recognized by the Conscious Mind after they're converted into cultural language.

There are 2 possibilities as to where the conversion of thoughts to cultural language occurs.

• One possibility is that the each mental system directly generated its thought signals in cultural language.

This would mean that all 3 system would have knowledge of the learned cultural language & they do. The Spirited Mind is involved in the reading process & therefore must have knowledge of language.

The Rational Mind obtains its knowledge & other learning from information supplied from external sources in the form of cultural language.

And the Conscious Mind's ability to interpret the speech of others is obviously based upon it having learned a cultural language.

Thus, each mental system has a working knowledge of the language an individual has learned & is therefore capable of directly communicating its thoughts in that language.

• The other possibility is that Wernicke's area converts universal thought impulses received from each of the 3 mental systems into the cultural language consciously heard by the Conscious Mind as the Inner Voice.

In this case Wernicke's area wouldn't only be the seat of the Conscious Mind, but would also act as a "thought to language converter."

Originally, before development of any cultural language, all thoughts were expressed in brain language, like a thought to run produced by the Conscious Mind for execution by the Coordinator.

Cultural languages were only formed so that thoughts could be conveyed from one person to another, as brain language obviously can't.

Since all thoughts originally were produced in brain language, they probably continued to be generated in that form even after formulation of cultural languages.

Therefore, a means like Wernicke's area is required to convert thoughts to cultural language, which is expressed as the Inner Voice a person hears.

But if communication among the mental systems is in cultural language & cultural language didn't exist prehistorically, how did the mental systems communicate w/each other then?

Probably the Spirited Mind only could produce feelings as to what it was experiencing & the Conscious Mind only could produce brain language thoughts to execute motor actions, which aren't dependent upon cultural language.

i.e., the Spirited Mind of a young child, even today, who's punished by a parent might feel ashamed & transmit associate impulses to the Coordinator, w/out being able to express, even to itself, any thoughts about what it's feeling.

Likewise, the Conscious Mind would experience the shame, but not be able to put into words what it was experiencing.

It might remember any punishment & refrain from repeating the punishable act, but it wouldn't have input from the Rational Mind as to why the act was wrong; as the Rational Mind is dependent upon cultural language for development & expression of its thoughts & therefore probably wouldn't have any significant role in the mental processes until after the formation of a language.

It appears, therefore, to be more reasonable that thoughts are produced in brain language & then converted to cultural language, as brain language is the source of thoughts when cultural language doesn't exist.

However, it's not important whether the mental systems directly communicate their thoughts to each other in cultural language, or if their thoughts are converted by Wernicke's into the learned language of an individual. In either case, it's only when thoughts are in the form of a language that they are consciously known by the person's Conscious Mind.

How about the conversion of impulses, other than those of thought messages, into the conscious perceptions, sensations & emotions needed for the Conscious Mind to have awareness of them, where do these take place?

Possibly the conversion of all impulses necessary for conscious awareness of the stimuli causing them, not just thoughts signals, occurs in Wernicke's area.

How are thoughts formulated by the mental systems?

Thought Formulation

The physical processes involved in producing thoughts isn't known for sure.

However, as mentioned previously, Watson's view of how thoughts are formed was that thoughts are conditioned responses to stimuli; that is, thoughts occur automatically in response to stimuli, w/ specific stimuli eliciting specific responses.

i.e., hunger pangs may act as a stimulus, causing the thought to be automatically formulated, "I'm hungry."

Thoughts themselves may act as stimuli, calling forth one or more thought responses, so that thoughts proceed in a chain-like fashion, one thought leading to another.

When a young child utters a sound like "ba-ba" & in response is given a bottle by the infant's mother, impulses corresponding to the sound made is stored in the language memory of the child.

When again hungry, the child's Conscious Mind will send thought impulses instructing Wernicke's area to repeat the sound. As the child grows older, he or she will learn to say, "I'm hungry, I want to eat." This verbal response to hunger is now stored in the language memory.

Eventually, as the child matures into an adult, a complete vocabulary containing the proper language to express his or her thoughts is stored in the person's language memory.

Then when the Conscious Mind produces a thought, Wernicke's area responds by issuing impulses corresponding to the proper language to express it, which has been stored in the language memory.

The language memory may exist as part of Wernicke's area, or it possibly may be a separate system which is accessible to Wernicke's area. The signals produced would then be heard as the Inner Voice or expressed vocally, using the process just described.

What about the thoughts produced by the Rational & Spirited Minds, are they also spoken?

The thoughts produced by those systems would be heard by the Conscious Mind as the Inner Voice & could either be expressed directly by the Conscious Mind using the same procedure, or they might stimulate the Conscious Mind to generate a new thought, which it may or may not speak.

In either case, it is the Conscious Mind that controls the output of Wernicke's area, as it is the only mental system that can initiate thought messages that result directly or indirectly in motor actions.

Is the thinking process of all three mental systems the same?

The thought "I'm hungry" may produce the chain of thoughts, "I think I'll go get something to eat. Maybe John will go w/me. I think I'll call him." Thus, one thought may lead progressively to another, so that a chain of thoughts may result from a single stimulus.

In formulating such thoughts, it's believed that the brain combines information gathered by the senses w/that stored in memory & transmits the combination via neural pathways to other areas for processing.

e.g., if a person sees a friend, Joe, approaching, sensory impulses are produced by sensors of the person's eyes corresponding to the figure of Joe.

These impulses are transmitted to the person's Sensory Memory system, which recalls that the figure being seen is Joe & not Jim or John, or some other friend.

The information as to whom is approaching & any feelings associated w/him or her, or any observed differences in the person from that previously stored in memory, are transmitted in the form of impulses via connecting brain circuitry to various areas of the brain.

It's been found that a perceived stimulus isn't processed sequentially, being conveyed in turn from one area of the brain to another, but rather is processed simultaneously by several areas of the brain.

Accordingly, all 3 mental systems simultaneously receive impulses corresponding to a perceived stimulus & each processes & formulates thoughts about the stimulus according to the particular functions each system performs.

In the foregoing example of a person seeing a friend, Joe, the impulses conveyed to the mental systems may evoke thoughts that are vocally expressed, such as, "Hi, Joe! I'm glad to see you. How did you hurt your arm?", if it had been observed that Joe's arm were now in a cast.

To explain the process involved in producing & expressing such thoughts, let us first consider how thoughts are formulated relating to perceived sound stimuli, such as the sound of someone's voice, or the sound of thunder.

The following scenario assumes that thunder is heard by a person, which frightens the individual.

• The sound of the thunder reaching the person's ears causes impulses corresponding to it to be generated by auditory sensors in the hearing organs.

• The impulses are transmitted to the 3 mental systems, so that each has awareness of the sound.

• Impulses are also conveyed to a specific part of the cortex of each hemisphere, called the auditory cortex.

• Based upon information stored in the Sensory Memory Systems from the person's previous experiences w/the perceived stimulus, thunder, signals are generated identifying the stimulus & any feelings associated w/it.

The identifying impulses are transmitted to the mental systems, which interprets the impulses as to the message they convey, such as the name by which the sound is called.

The feeling impulses are transmitted to the right limbic system of the brain, which generates any emotion associated w/the sound, in this case, fear.

The Conscious Mind, having conscious awareness of the sound & its name & emotional impact, may formulate a thought about the sound.

Expressed in English, the thought might be,

"The thunder frightens me."

If expressed in Spanish, the words would be different, but the thought would be the same. The thought may be heard either internally as the Inner Voice, or it may be communicated to another person.

If the person desires to speak his or her thoughts to someone else, Wernicke's area generates impulses corresponding to the correct wording & syntax of the cultural language of the person.

The language impulses are transmitted from Wernicke's area to Broca's area, informing it as to the exact words that are to be spoken, as previously mentioned.

Broca's area then constructs detailed motor instructions, in the form of impulses, as to the specific muscle movements of the speech organs that are required to produce the words.

This information is transmitted to the motor cortices regions of the brain, probably via the Stimulus Response System Coordinator. The motor cortices then generates motor impulses that are transmitted to the muscles controlling the speech organs, causing them to formulate the desired words.

The cerebellum coordinates the operation of the speech organs, "fine tuning" them so that the words will be spoken clearly.

How does Wernicke's area know the correct wording to use in the speaking of thoughts?

In order for Wernicke's area to produce the correct wording, it relies on the language memory that the person has developed during his or her life.

The thoughts produced by a mental system is a result of it becoming agitated by either physical, thought, or emotional stimuli.

In accordance w/ the foregoing, the essential elements of the thinking process are:

• the entering into a mental system of an idea or thought, which it may expressed linguistically, usually in the form of words, or as a mental picture

These powers are divided among the thinking mechanisms of the mental systems.

Conception, the ability to conceive a thought or idea, is a property of each of the mental systems.

The Rational Mind has the inherent capacity to conceive thoughts based upon logical reasoning.

The Spirited Mind has the capacity to conceive thoughts pertaining to its emotional feelings.

The Conscious Mind has the capacity to conceive thoughts, using its power of cognition to distinguish one stimulus from another & reflection to form opinions & decisions about them.

What exactly is cognition?

The Cognitive Thought Process

Cognition is the process whereby a person comes to "know" what something is:

• that an orange is an orange

• that an apple is an apple

By this process a person's able to associate what's perceived w/ that which the person has experienced. We learn that an orange is an orange & not an apple, thru our senses.

• By touching both an orange & an apple, we ascertain that they feel differently

• By looking at them, we see that they appear differently

• By eating both, we know they taste differently

By experiencing both we come to know what each is & can discriminate between them, so that when we again see an apple or an orange we have a sense of what it is w/out having to again physically experience it.

The knowing of something isn't merely the recalling its name from memory. We may think we know what Paris is like, but until we've been there & experienced it we really don't know Paris.

It's by the experiencing of something that we come to have knowledge of it, a "sense" of it, regardless of what it's called; a sense of what constitutes an orange or of what constitutes an apple.

All the words in the world may be used to describe having a baby, but until you actually have one, you really don't know what it's like. A person can only really know what something is like thru his or her previous experiences of it.

Knowledge of something we have experienced is independent of language.

A Spanish speaking person calls an apple "manzana" & an orange, "naranja," but his or her understanding of the concept of an apple or an orange is the same as that of an English speaking person.

Thru the cognitive process of experiencing things, an individual builds up an inventory of a great number of things of which he has personal knowledge, a "sense" of them.

It's only the Conscious Mind that has cognition of stimuli, since it's only the Conscious Mind that actually experiences the effects of stimuli, although other systems, both physical & mental, have awareness of & may respond to stimuli.

Thus, the "knowing" of something is a property of the Conscious Mind & is independent of the memory of an individual.

What's stored in memory is information, not the actual knowing of something.

Although we may store in memory impulses representing the visual, tactile & flavor aspects of an apple, as well as its name "apple" & may recall these impulses when we think of an apple, the "knowing" of the object that caused these impulses resides in the Conscious Mind & is independent of whether we call the object "apple" or "manzana."

It's the inherent cognitive power of the Conscious Mind that permits it to form thoughts from the sensory impulses transmitted to it. From its experiences, the Conscious Mind may associate an apple w/a pleasurable means of satisfying hunger, so upon feeling hungry & seeing a bowl of apples it might formulate the thought,

"I think I'll have an apple."

It needn't search the memory for a list of things that might be eaten. It knows that it likes apples & that they're available, so it decides that it'll eat one, knowing it'll satisfy both its hunger & its desire for pleasure.

But doesn't a person w/amnesia lose knowledge of whom he or she is, so that cognition is not a permanent knowing of something?

When a person has amnesia, or even brain damage, the person may forget his or her name or past events & experiences, but what the person has actually lost is access to the knowledge of these stored in memory.

A person's name isn't a thing of substance, it's just a word. A person may forget his or her name because of amnesia, but the person still has a sense of being a human being & not a dog & that what he or she's eating is an apple or what's being seen is a tree, even if he or she may not be able to name these because of an impaired brain function.

The person knows what these things are, has a sense of them, because the individual has learned of them thru experience & the sense of them has been implanted in the Conscious Mind & remains w/the person, even if certain events can't be recalled.

A person may lose remembrance of facts, but he or she never loses knowledge of what has been experienced. Although the faculty of cognition, the capacity to know, is an inherent property of the Conscious Mind, what it knows isn't inherent, but is learned from its experiences.

However, in forming its thoughts the Conscious Mind does make use of information that has been stored in memory, in conjunction w/its cognitive power.

When asked what a person had done the night before, the Memory System is accessed, which might respond by emitting impulses indicating that he or she had gone to a show & had enjoyed it.

From its cognitive powers, the Conscious Mind understands what a show is, etc. & from the information received from memory it might formulate the thought, "I went to the movies last night, the picture was great!"

What process is used by the Rational Mind to produce thoughts?

The Analytic Thought Process

Problems may occur in the everyday life of a person in which thoughts need be exchanged between the Conscious Mind & the Intellect in order to be resolved.

The process utilized by the Intellect & Conscious Mind for resolution of problems may be called the "Analytic Thought Process."

All the thoughts a person consciously hears, including those voiced by others as well as those produced by the mental systems heard as the Inner Voice, are automatically transmitted to the Knowledge Memory System, which contains all of the knowledge & beliefs accumulated by a person over his or her lifetime.

Thoughts generated by the Conscious Mind pertaining to actions it may be contemplating cause the memory system to automatically generate impulses indicating the propriety of acting upon those thoughts.

i.e., the thought of a person to go to a show may be in conflict w/a previous thought of staying home to study for an exam.

Impulses indicating this is transmitted from the memory system to the Intellect, which may formulate the thought,

"I better stay home & study for the exam tomorrow."

This thought is heard by the Conscious Mind, which then must make a decision as to which action it'll give preference.

In addition to formulating thoughts concerning the propriety of executing actions, the Intellect may be called upon to resolve problems involving the decision-making process of the Conscious Mind.

Some problems that are dependent strictly on logic, like mathematics calculations, are solved by techniques that have been learned & mastered by the Intellect.

Other problems need be resolved by the Analytical Thought Process of weighing the pros & cons of the situation.

To illustrate both the Rational & Spirited Minds' involvement in the decision-making process of the Conscious Mind, let's suppose a person must make a decision whether or not to take a job out of town.

The Conscious Mind might think, "I wonder if I should take the job?", which thought is conveyed to the memory system.

In response to this thought, the memory system might transmit impulses to the Intellect of the likely consequences of taking the job, from which the Intellect might formulate the thought, "I won't be able to see my friends & family."

Since this is a sad thought, the person experiences a feeling of sadness.

However, since the Conscious Mind only experiences emotions & doesn't produce the feelings that initiates them, as has been stated before, it is the Spirited Mind that is saddened & has caused the emotion to be generated.

The person may for various reasons desire a change, which stimulates the Conscious Mind to form the thought,

"On the other hand, I'll make a lot more money, advance my career, & I can see my family on holidays."

The Conscious Mind then experiences a feeling of being happy, which is initiated by the Spirited Mind as this is in accord w/its desires.

However, this thought may stimulate the Intellect to counter,

"But what if the car breaks down, or the weather is bad? Then I won't be able to get home for the holidays."

These thoughts cause the person to feel apprehensive.

The Analytic Thought Process proceeds, w/both the Conscious Mind & the Intellect providing pro & con thoughts that result in associated positive or negative feelings being generated by the Spirited Mind & experienced by the Conscious Mind, which finally arrives at its decision.

The final decision is based upon whether the person's conditioning is to act logically or emotionally when faced w/a decision.

Generally, a strong need will outweigh the logic of a situation & the person will then find a reason to justify his or her actions.

In other words, conscious decisions mostly are determined by emotional factors, not by reason.

After an emotional decision has been made, the Conscious Mind looks for rational & socially acceptable reasons to back the decision.

A woman may reach a logical conclusion that it would definitely be possible to achieve a high position in a company by granting sexual favors to her boss, but her code of ethics won't permit her to.

On the other hand, a woman w/less scruples & a great need to achieve at any cost, may make the opposite decision, justifying it to herself by saying, "If I don't, someone else will."

Since it is the Spirited Mind that produced the feelings that caused the emotions to be generated in the foregoing situation of a person taking a new job, how do you know it wasn't the Spirited Mind rather than the Conscious Mind that was conversing w/the Intellect?

That's a good point. There is really no way to know which system was having the exchange of thoughts w/the Intellect.

It may be that the Spirited Mind & the Rational Mind converse w/ each other on matters that cause the Spirited Mind to generate emotional feelings, whereas the Conscious & Rational Minds converse on matters related to the Conscious Mind experiencing of physical sensations, like hunger.

i.e., if the decision the person had to make was whether or not to eat a piece of chocolate cake, it would be the Conscious Mind that might communicate w/ the Rational Mind, trying to convince it that just one piece won't hurt & the same process would ensue as in the preceding.

Regardless of which system has an exchange of thoughts w/the Rational Mind, however, it's the Conscious Mind that actually makes the decision as to what actions will be taken under all circumstances & what thoughts will be spoken to others.

To summarize, it's been said that the Conscious Mind formulates thoughts related to the satisfaction of the needs & desires of a person, utilizing the Conscious Mind's inherent powers of reflection & cognition, in conjunction w/information received from the senses & that stored in memory.

The thoughts of the Intellect, on the other hand, are formulated for the purpose of guiding & giving structure to the life of an individual & are base upon its reasoning ability & accumulated knowledge, as well as upon the conscience of the individual.

The Analytic Thought Process is used in problem solving, but emotional factors mostly influence the Conscious Mind in making decisions, rather than reasoning.

The thoughts of the Spirited Mind generally occur as a result of how perceived stimuli affect its needs for a sense of self-worth, as well as its other needs. There is a possibility that the Spirited Mind also may be involved in what may be called, "The Creative Thought Process."

What is The Creative Thought Process?

The Creative Thought Process

The type of thoughts produced by the mental systems that have been discussed so far are dependent upon:

• the experiences of a person 
• existing knowledge

But how are thoughts formulated for which there is no existing knowledge, such as the theories developed by scientists & physicists?

Perhaps such thoughts are formulated thru "The Creative Thought Process," as discussed in the following.

Usually in making the choices & decisions of everyday living a person draws upon his or her life experiences.

However, there are times when a situation occurs for which there is no precedence to call upon. Then, the person must use intuition, which may be defined as,

"The power of knowing, without recourse to experience or reasoning."

All individuals have an intuitive side, but often refuse to abide w/what their intuition tells them because it's contrary to their learning experiences of what's logical or appropriate under the circumstances.

However, there are philosophic & religious schools of thought which believe that intuition provides a source of knowledge to human beings greater than that of reason & is available to people thru the Creative Thought Process.

The Creative Thought Process is the means whereby a person communicates w/the Universal Creator, God, (as you understand Him/Her to be). Some people communicate w/this Higher Power thru:

• deep thought
• some, thru prayers
• some thru communion w/the Holy Spirit
• some, thru meditation

In order to utilize the Creative Thought Process it's imperative that there be a quietness, a stilling of all emotions & thoughts. There must be a blocking out of all the perceptual & other signals emanating from the brain, w/a complete concentration on the thought at hand.

The person mulls over the thought at the "back" of his or her mind. The eyes of the person usually will involuntarily look upward, gazing into space, as if looking to the heavens for an answer.

The solution to the person's problem will come in the form of a thought accompanied by a sense of knowing that it's the correct thing, even though it can't be backed up by solid reasoning. This thought & the associated feeling a person experiences is what's commonly called intuition.

In our everyday lives we may get intuitive thoughts & feelings w/out formally meditating or praying. There's a saying,

"Our thoughts are prayers."

So, any time we're confronted w/a problem & momentarily still our minds, we may receive an intuitive answer to our dilemma. As w/ emotions, although the Conscious Mind hears the intuitive thought & experiences an associated feeling these aren't originated by it, but probably by the Spirited Mind acting as a conduit of them proceeding from some greater source of knowledge.

Often a person will ignore his or her intuitive thoughts for a lack of facts or logic to support them. However, since the knowledge of the Universal Creator is infinite & a person's knowledge is limited, a person who relies on his or her intuitive will in all probability make the right decision. It's thru the intuition provided by the Creative Thought Process that theories have been formed about the laws of nature, which later have been proven thru experimentation.

And Descartes, the philosopher & mathematician who invented analytical geometry, based his whole rationalistic philosophy on a series of his meditations.

It's important, however, for a person in making a decision to be able to differentiate a true intuitive feeling from a feeling that's just wishful thinking on the part of the person.

Generally, if the decision is accompanied by an emotional response, or a feeling of enhancement of the person's esteem or ego, it is not a true intuitive feeling, but one which is tied to a wish-fulfillment of the desires of the person. A true intuitive feeling generally is of a calm nature, the person merely "sensing" that it's the right answer to the problem.

Thus, in making a decision or choice, the Conscious Mind may rely upon information available from either: the person's cognitive ability & information stored in memory; from the reasoning ability & conscience of the Intellect; or from his or her power of intuition.

However, cognition limits one to known experiences, as does the reasoning of the Intellect & the beliefs from which the conscience is constituted aren't always correct & often contradictory. So, the best guide as to what path to follow in one's everyday life in many instances may be the intuitive sense of correctness one gets when he or she has chosen the right course.

The foregoing has discussed how the systems of the brain communicate w/each other. We'll next explore how the systems interact w/each other in the processing of perceived stimuli.

You Are What You Think

by Linda-Ann Stewart

A Sage once said,

"Man is what he thinks about all day long."

How true that is. When we think about how much we're struggling, we experience more struggle. When we contemplate how bad we feel, we get to feel worse. When we focus on our problems, we perpetuate them.

"But," you say, "it's in my face all day long. How do I not think about them?" That's the challenge. To find a way to change your focus.

When we keep our attention on one aspect of our lives, generally what we don't want, we are impressing our inner mind w/that very thing. Our inner mind can't reason. It gets the impression & creates the outer result from that imprint, just like a rubber stamp. Our creativity carves a star in a block of wood & then our inner mind stamps it on the fabric of our lives.

"Energy flows where attention goes." We follow wherever our vision looks. In baseball, the batter keeps his eye on the ball so he can hit it. A basketball player wouldn't dream of looking at the stands when he was planning to sink the ball in the basket. The same is true of our lives.

So how do you change your focus from your problem to the solution?

It takes discipline & persistence. Realize that the problem is simply an outdated creation of yours, an empty shell of an earlier choice. Make a new decision of what you want. Write it down. Cut out pictures of it. Feel yourself having it. Whenever you think of the original problem, substitute what you now want. "That was then, this is now." The old will begin to crumble way, like old parchment.

No matter how long it takes, keep at it. You've had the problem a while. It may take a few months to build the new structure. It may form slowly, or suddenly arrive. Don't fall back into the old vision, that will delay the new shape. The most important thing, though, is that you are in the process of creating it, whether you see immediate results or not.

In this way, your life is becoming what you consciously think about all day long. So remember to focus on what you want & keep your eye on the ball.

Think About It

We sometimes make snap decisions. Or we may mull over decisions for too long. Become skilled at the happy medium of good decision-making.

Imagine walking on a tightrope high above Niagara Falls. As you inch along, you see a maniac coming at you from behind. No longer are you just concerned about falling to either side, you also have to make sure the maniac doesn't catch you!

In a sense, life is the same way. Every step we make has real consequences - yet we have to continue to move forward.

People want immediate results & tend to lack patience when it comes to making decisions. People may even throw themselves into a certain decision - for better or for worse - just to get the decision out of the way.

Others may excessively mull over decisions, lacking the confidence to come to the right conclusion.

Whatever the case, decisions can come back & haunt us. And we wonder: "Why didn't I think this thru better?"

Take note of how you make decisions. Do your deliberate & consider the weight of important issues? Or is it impulsive & w/out thought of consequence? Or do you simply shrug your shoulders & make a decision out of ignorance?

Way #13 is Bi-yishuv - literally "by sitting." Life has decisions to be made at every moment. So don't be hasty. Slow down. Examine all the aspects. Reflect. Deliberate.

Make the best decisions you can, but don't get so wrapped up in yourself that you're afraid to commit to a final decision.

These techniques will help you solve problems that inevitably arise in career, marriage & parenting. And once you do make your decision, you'll move forward w/confidence, knowing it was the best decision possible.

4 Steps of Deliberation

"Deliberation" means to ponder insights, events, ideas - whatever we encounter in life. Let things lie for a while, then go back & mull them over.

The Sages say that whatever you encounter, study it 4 times. This process is likened to the act of planting - because wisdom is for the soul what food is for the body.

PLOWING - The 1st time you go over an idea, try to figure it out. That's "breaking up the soil."

PLANTING - The 2nd time, the idea begins to make sense. You're "putting seeds into the ground," planting it into yourself.

HARVESTING - The 3rd time, you come to an experiential & intellectual understanding. It's "reaping the wheat."

DIGESTING - The 4th time, you integrate the idea into your life. It "nourishes" your soul & is now part of you.

We all want to achieve great things w/minimum effort. A great sage said:

"A person wants to become great overnight & get a good night's sleep, too!"

Realize that true growth is a long process. That's why deliberation is an important tool, because it forces you to slow down, exercise patience & stretch the limits of your powers.

With everything you want to achieve & the short time you have to do so - taking time to deliberate is the best investment you'll ever make..

6 Tools of Deliberation

Tool #1 - Nightly Recap

Before going to sleep, look back & review the events of your day. Try to identify what you learned. Then project toward the future. Anticipate what you expect to encounter the following day, week, or month.

Set a schedule to review your life regularly. In Judaism, the appointed times are every week before Shabbat, every month before Rosh Chodesh & every year before Rosh Hashana.

You can also do this before a birthday, graduation, wedding or other milestone.

Do this consistently for the rest of your life. Deliberate on what you've done in the past & what you hope for the future. Without this, you're just running aimlessly thru life. Sure, you'll eventually end up someplace - but you won't be happy & you won't know how you got there.

Tool #2 - Capture & Concretize

We all have an occasional flash of truth: moments when we realize what it means to be a friend, what we're doing wrong, what we really want out of life. We may think the moment of realization has changed us. But often the moment is lost. Because unless we concretize the insight, we'll never act on it & the effect dissipates altogether.

The next time you get a great insight, stop. Freeze. Don't move. Think about what the insight means in the overall scheme of things. And figure out how to put it into practice.

Imagine you encounter the suffering of poor people & are moved to tears. If you want to help, you'll need to structure a careful, detailed plan. Otherwise, all your good intentions are unlikely to amount to anything.

Tool #3 - Think Before You Speak

We all have ups & downs, good days & bad days. Hasty reactions are a defense mechanism & usually not the most effective one. If we're not on guard, we can act impulsively.

Criticism has a way of getting under our skin & making us attack the source of the criticism. So before you react, give yourself a chance to consider the comment, what it really means & if perhaps there's some validity to it.

As King Solomon says: "Don't be quick to respond."

When someone hurts or insults you, wait before you react. You're naturally on the defensive. Be careful not to say anything you'll later regret. Before you start shouting, pause. Catch a hold of yourself & count to 10.

Similarly, when someone asks you a question, think before you answer. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." When asked for your point of view, learn to say, "I'm not sure," or "It seems to me..." In the long run, you'll gain respect.

Tool #4 - Analyze the Info

If it's not worth mulling over, it's not worth studying in the first place. Because all that information may just overload & confuse you.

When you hear or read something, train yourself to sum up the central point in a few words. If you don't take the time to think over what you've learned, you're viewing the world blindly thru someone else's eyes.

Next, examine the implications of the new idea. It helps to have a list of standard probing questions like:

• Is the source objective?
• What is the evidence cited?
• What aspects don't I understand?
• What are the implications/consequences of this for my life?

Asking these questions will sharpen your analytical abilities & will help you apply what you learn.

Next, take a piece of paper & write out the pros & cons. This gets the ball rolling in a constructive direction.

Even though it may seem like this process will slow you down, once you master the technique, it'll become more automatic. Then you'll be able to analyze things w/lightning speed & make better, faster decisions.

Tool #5 - Be Prepared

You need to distinguish between "reality" & "moods." Deliberating before you confront a problem will enable you to act w/ greater confidence when the problem does arise.

So before you enter a situation that could backfire - a job interview, a family gathering, etc. - consider in advance what you'll have to confront & practice for it. Role-play in front of a mirror (or w/a friend) & prepare catch-phrases that - in the heat of the moment - keep you focused.

When you're prepared, you're confident. And then no one will be able to pull the rug out from under your feet.

Tool #6 - Give It Time

Did you ever go to sleep w/a problem & then wake up w/a solution?

To gain clarity, you sometimes have to walk away from a situation & then come back to it later. If you feel yourself coming up empty, take a break for while & come back refreshed. You're more clever & resourceful than you give yourself credit for. Solutions may jump right out at you the next time around.

Over time, we get answers. So stick w/it. Ask others for advice. Ask God to help. The clarity will come.

Why Is "Thinking About It" A Way To Wisdom?

• We all want greatness. It takes time & hard work to achieve it.
• When you reach an impasse, pause & analyze. Deal w/the problem. Don't look for the quick, easy solution.
• Careful reflection ensures a much wiser response than an impulse reaction.
• To know what you're living for, take the time to think it thru. Otherwise you could end up w/a very superficial life.

You Become What You Think About!

The thought process

Thinking, in & of itself, is an autonomous process…it happens constantly whether we like it or not, or are aware of it or not. Our brain is constantly processing 'thoughts' & they're reflected in our face, our speech, our body & our overall attitude.

Addiction to Thinking

By Margaret Paul, PhD / Professional
Inner Bonding

Randall sought my help because he was stuck being miserable & had no idea how to get out of his misery. In his life he had experienced moments of great joy & sense of oneness w/all of life, but those moments were infrequent. He wanted more of those moments but had no idea how to bring them about.

Randall is an extremely intelligent man, but in some ways he was using his own intelligence against himself. The problem was that when Randall did have those brief moments of true connection, he immediately went into his mind to try to figure out how it happened. The moment he went into his mind, he lost the connection that he so desperately desired.

The reason Randall went into his mind was that, as much as he wanted the joy of deep spiritual connection, he wanted something even more than that - control over that connection.

Randall's ego wounded self believed that he could control the connection w/Spirit with his intellect - if only he could figure it out then he could control it. The last thing Randall wanted to do, which is what is necessary to connect w/Spirit, is to surrender his thinking.

Randall was deeply addicted to thinking as a way to not feel his inner experience. Thinking was his way of controlling his painful feelings, such as his aloneness, loneliness & helplessness over others & over his spiritual connection.

Many us of are addicted to thinking. We believe if we can just figure things out we can control others & the outcome of things. We want to control how people feel about us & treat us by saying just the right thing - so we have to think about it over & over to discover the right thing to say.

This is called "ruminating." Ruminating is obsessively thinking about something over & over in the hopes of finally coming up w/the "right" answer, the right thing to say, the right way to be to have control over others & the outcome of things. Ruminating is also a way to have control over our own painful feelings, which is what addictions are all about.

In my work w/Randall, he would immediately go into his head & analyze what was happening in the session the minute feelings came up. Over & over I would bring him out of his head & into his body, into his feelings.

His feelings were so terrifying to him that he could only stay w/his feelings for a few moments before he was back into his head - explaining, figuring out, intellectualizing. He was so terrified of the soul loneliness & aloneness he felt that he had learned to avoid these feelings w/his mind.

Yet until Randall was willing to feel his painful feelings, which had been there since childhood, he couldn't stay out of his head. As long as his intent was to control his pain rather than learn from it, he would not be able to move into the spiritual connection he so desired.