28 November 2020
There is no person on the planet that you spend more time with than yourself. So what kind of company do you keep with yourself? Are you easy-going and quiet, or are do you annoy yourself? Since there is only one of you, this question gets complicated. So often we can create cognitive dissonance within ourselves because of the constant dialogue in the head, chattering away – incessantly. This voice in the mind can get annoying, especially if it is always talking and saying negative things. This can feel like you keep bad company with yourself. The mind is just doing its job – it’s thinking. The heart beats, the lungs breathe, and the mind thinks. However, if this is left unchecked, the thoughts it produces can potentially be upsetting.
Today is a good day to observe the contents of your mind. Do you think obsessively and negatively? Are you using your mind as a resourceful tool to make your day wonderful, or is your mind using you? Today is a good day to start becoming a deliberate thinker. Don’t let the mind produce random thoughts that interrupt your flow and cause you to become irritable or to think poorly of yourself. The best way to combat a chatty mind is to do something creative. Using your imagination is a willful act that causes the mind to focus, hopefully on positive and uplifting thoughts and tasks. It helps you become a more effective problem solver as well. Too often we get caught up in the drama of the automatic mind that the imagination (the willful mind) gets out of shape, dull and helpless.
Think of something you can do that’s creative, today! Exercise your imagination by trying a new recipe. Write a hand-written note to a friend. Buy a planter and arrange some beautiful plants for your back porch. Write a poem for your partner. These are my suggestions. Try to come up with your own, though. It will be more fun that way. Don’t judge the product, just try to produce something you’ve deliberately thought of and created. It doesn’t have to be complicated, just exercise your imagination and notice how good that makes you feel. Using the imagination to think nice thoughts or to create a little something good for yourself or others is a wonderful way to become a deliberate thinker. It’s the best way to keep from letting the mind’s obsessive thoughts ruin your day.