By Sajjiah Parker
Thoughts Are Things and Words Are Spells
Yes, thoughts are things and words are spells, and both our thoughts and our words have creative power–the power to create a vivid, colorful masterpiece of our dreams, visions, and goals, as well as the power to cause mass destruction to our hopes and dreams. Now, also consider the fact that we are thinking beings, thinking incessantly, all day, every day. In fact, most of the research I have explored on the subject suggests that the average person has 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts a day! Think about that–possibly as many as 50,000 thoughts a day! With so many thoughts, ask yourself: what are the true contents of your thoughts, and the words you are speaking to yourself? What predominates your thinking? Are you thinking about your well-being and how amazing your life is, how happy you are, how vivacious you look and feel, how you love your job or career, all the money you make, and how loved and in love you feel? Or, are most of your thoughts just the opposite: despondent thoughts, thoughts of doubt, worry, fear, insecurity, lack, and need? I believe that most of us, most of the time, are thinking about what we fear, what we dread, and what we “hope” doesn’t happen.
There was a time when I would not have thought that statement true for me, because I regarded myself as someone deeply introspective and a generally positive person. It wasn’t until I actually made a conscious effort to take real inventory of just how “positive” of a person I am on any given day, that I realized that this was true for me as well. For an entire day, I wrote in a journal, line by line and bullet-point by bullet-point, any negative thought that entered my mind that day. I have repeated this exercise many times now (and it may not be a bad idea for you to try), and every time I am astounded, truly speechless, at how many times in a single day, my self-talk has been either critical, or centered around fear of failure, defeat, insecurity, inadequacy, disappointment in self/others, dread of a worse-case-scenario, worry, or anxiety over all the things that remain undone and that I have to get done.
What this revealed to me is the importance of being mindful at all times of what you are thinking and feeling, and what you are allowing to linger in your mind. You may not always be able to stop a thought from entering your mind, but you can control what you allow to stay there. Simply do not feed it, and thus it will have no energy and it will starve. What I have also found effective is to replace that undesirable thought with what I do desire and want to be my reality; the best possible outcome. This is not always easy to do–some days it is very challenging to maintain a positive state of mind–but is nonetheless imperative that you do because it makes all the difference in the world, literally.
“We are living in an Intelligent Universe, which responds to our mental states. To the extent that we learn to control these mental states, we shall automatically control our environment.”
–Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind
In closing, I would like to share with you one of my morning rituals that I find helps me tremendously to calm my spirit, get centered, find balance, and gain courage I need to face the day ahead. To enhance my experience, I light a candle and burn incense as part of my ritual, but this is not necessary for you to experience the positive effects of this practice.
Start by getting up at least 30 minutes before you normally arise in the morning. Sit in a comfortable place, a place free from distractions. If you choose to, light a candle or an incense cone or stick, and breathe for several minutes while allowing yourself to become mesmerized by the flicker of the flame, and aroma from the incense. If no candle/incense, simply quiet your mind and breathe. Close your eyes, and breathe, concentrating on your breath–the sound, the rise and fall in your chest–and when you feel a sense of calm come over you, try then to visualize and imagine a beautiful, radiant, and luminous glow of light consuming your body, from the soles of your feet to the very top of your head, filling all the inner-spaces of your body and mind. Feel the warmth of the light, and the powerful energy of this light Source, vitalizing and illuminating every cell in your mind and body. Then, open your eyes, and read the following affirmation. Please take your time, concentrating on every word. Choose to Believe, to Know, that with every word spoken, the Universe is listening!
Daily Affirmation:
All good is now mine and is now manifest in my experiences. Today the possibilities of my experience are unlimited. My thought, which is my key to life, opens all doors for me. Life lies open to me; rich, full, abundant. I have an abundance of everything I need to express the fullest life, happiness, and action. I am surrounded by right action. I am filled with the consciousness of right action. I am surrounded by Substance, which is always taking the form of supply, and always manifesting Itself to me in the form of whatever my need may be at the time. There is continuous movement toward me of supply, of money, of all that I need to express the fullest life, happiness, and action. I have an inner understanding of my place in the Universe. I know that it is unique. I am unique and forever individualized. There is that within me that others recognize as worthwhile and desirable, and everyone whom I meet loves this self of mine and recognizes its worth. I draw all toward me and those whom I can benefit and those who can benefit me are irresistibly drawn toward me. The opportunity for self-expression and compensation is always open to me, and I am at all times compelled to know, accept, and operate upon this opportunity. Happiness and wholeness fill my entire being.
(The Science of Mind)
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