A week and a half ago, week 13 for Maxims, we were instructed “Do not engage intrusive thoughts and feelings. Cut them off at the start.”
Ever since I wrote that post I’ve been reading the book “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica”. It really has given me so much to think about, so much to work towards.
I so often have struggled with negativity and self-pity. It’s no secret. But I don’t want that anymore. I want to turn things around, as I’ve said from the start and the reason for creating this blog.
As mentioned in my Maxim 13 post Elder Thaddeus says “Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are drawn into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility.” More and more I see that my thoughts are far from peaceful, calm, meek and kind. I often wonder why things are so chaotic, disorganized and tense in my home. I now see that my thoughts can set the tone.
In another book I am reading, Your Best Year Ever, Michael Hyatt says, “And our habits of thinking tend to produce consistent results no matter what’s going on in our work, our relationships, or the world around us.” He goes on to say, “If our habits of thinking are beneficial, we tend to experience positive results. … If our habits of thinking are counterproductive, however, we often experience the opposite.”
Our thoughts determine our lives?
His first chapter is “Your Beliefs Shape Your Reality” and chapter 2 is “Some Beliefs Hold You Back”.
Our thoughts determine our lives.
Michael Hyatt tells us about 2 kinds of people in life.
“To accomplish anything, we have to believe we are up to the challenge. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or that we even know how we’re going to accomplish it. Usually we don’t know. It just means we believe we’re capable; we have what it takes to prevail. Why is that important? Because every goal has obstacles. When some people have trouble getting over those obstacles they doubt they have what it takes. But others are confident they’ll prevail if they just work harder or come at the problem from a different direction. “
One way of thinking leads to success, the other to fear and failure.
We NEED to be Abundance Thinkers and by the Grace of God we can be. I will endeavor to become an abundance thinker. To be grateful, to believe there is always more, to share, to trust, to be confident in learning and growing, to be optimistic and look forward to the future…this is what it means to live life abundantly.
Both of these books are real treasures. Check them out!
And may you have abundant thinking from here on out!
Kindler of Joy! 