Laura Barrette Shannon  

Many people in the world today do not realize the magical power we have as humans. Our thoughts are so powerful that the nature of them can influence our moods, the words that we speak, actions that we take, or not take, and actually create the fabric of our individual perceptions.  Whew!!!  Now that is an incredible power! That is why all transformation, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, must begin with paying attention to your thoughts.

Thoughts Focused Externally
Sometimes when we embark on a path of self improvement it can be tempting to look outside of ourselves for what needs changing.   You might have a problem at work and think, “If only I had a better boss…” Or “If I had a different job…” Or maybe a problem with a mate and think, “If he would do this or be like that things would be better”.  These thought processes are focused on external changes or other people, most of which we do not have any control over.  Thoughts of this nature are wasted mental energy.  The result of such thinking will increase your stress and general feelings of unhappiness in life.
Refocusing Thoughts
An effective path to self-improvement will always focus on internal changes.  When you change your thoughts, emotions will follow suit.  Words will naturally flow from your emotional state, which will affect the way you see life.  If you can have enough focus and attention on your thoughts throughout the day you can literally change your entire world.  Life will seem easier, happier, more flowing.  People will not be as irritating.  Your patience will improve as well as your understanding and compassion for others.

Let’s look at an example of unchecked thoughts.  Mark is getting ready for work.  He isn’t thinking about what he is doing and spills coffee on his shirt.  Cursing, he starts to rush around.  As he’s hurrying he’s thinking how clumsy he was for spilling the coffee and how he’s going to be late. These thoughts agitate him even more.  While he’s driving to work he’s still thinking about being late, and not really focusing on the road.  Each red light he stops at aggravates him more and more which starts him  thinking about how much he hates traffic and driving.  By the time Mark gets to work, he’s in a bad mood, and is grumpy to everyone he passes on the way to his desk.  He has a stressful morning because everything seems to bother him.  He starts to think about how much he hates his job. By afternoon he is feeling depressed.

Now let’s look at an example of catching your thoughts.  John is getting ready for work.  He isn’t thinking about what he’s doing and spills coffee on his shirt.  He thinks, “Darn, I’m going to be late now.”  John, recognizing his reaction as a negative thought process, starts to watch his thoughts.  He knows what can happen if he lets them run loose.   Instead of getting upset, he thinks about having an opportunity to slow down a bit and focus on the present moment.  He takes an extra three minutes to change his shirt and leaves for work.  He is still focused on the moment and what he is thinking about, so as he drives to work he doesn’t rush, but enjoys the 20 minute commute, singing to the music on the radio.  He focuses on driving and singing.  He happily greets everyone as he enters work and has a great day.

 You can see from these very simplistic examples how one thought can trigger other thoughts and create a spiral of emotion.  If you can catch your negative thoughts and change them towards something different or just release them and move on with your day, you will be taking a huge step toward improving your life.  These practices take time and effort, but the more you watch your thoughts, the easier it is to see them and not let them take over your emotions.
This month’s exercise is to see if you can catch yourself in a negative thought process and to stop the emotional spiral.  Please share with us any experiences you have in the forum.    
click here: http://www.spiritualapprentice.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19
namaste-
Laura Barrette Shannon