Thoughts are Things

Thoughts are the building blocks of our actions. Just like a well-prepared blueprint is critical to constructing a safe, efficient and beautiful building, so our thoughts become the plan for our actions in building a life. As such, our thinking must be carefully trained and nurtured in order to produce the actions necessary to create the life that we desire. You would never think of trying to construct a skyscraper by randomly throwing building materials together, hoping that it would all work out. Likewise, a life built on random thinking, pursuing whatever pops into our minds, or following the path of least resistance, produces broken disappointed lives. Paying attention to our thinking, our planning, our visualization, is critical to our success in life. Thus, just like a blueprint is a necessary thing, our thoughts are critical things. These principles have been taught and understood for thousands of years.

Jesus said it like this: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him. Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.” I don’t think Jesus is only talking about having enough money. He is saying that we must think it through, have a plan, a vision for how it should turn out.

Ancient Hindu scriptures compare the power of our thoughts to the might of the wind. Both are unseen, but both can have a powerful affect on the visible world. “The mind is restless, impetuous, self-willed, hard to train. To master the mind seems as difficult as to master the mighty winds,” says a disciple. The master replies, “The mind is indeed restless, it is indeed hard to train. But, by constant practice and by freedom from passions the mind indeed can be trained.”

Just like a blueprint, our thoughts allow us to plan and prepare and visualize the end results. Just like the wind, though unseen, our thoughts can have great power in our lives. If our thinking, planning, preparation, and visualization is positive, enthusiastic, and upbeat, it will produce better results. Negative thinking tends to produce unenthusiastic, pessimistic actions—or even no action. Positive thinking, on the other hand, results in optimistic planning and constructive visualization, which in turn contribute to positive action and successful results.Negative thinking tends to produce unenthusiastic, pessimistic actions—or even no action. Positive thinking, on the other hand, results in optimistic planning and constructive visualization, which in turn contribute to positive action and successful results. Negative thinking tends to produce unenthusiastic, pessimistic actions—or even NO action. Positive thinking on the other hand, results in optimistic planning and constructive visualization, which in turn contribute to positive action and successful results.

Success Tip: Pay attention to your thinking. Keep it positive, upbeat and enthusiastic. Plan and prepare, then take action.