We tweet and twitter our thoughts. We blog them and log them and even run and jog with them. They are everywhere and in everything…they are constant and for many of us they dominate our mood and even our very lives.
There are some thoughts that never make it on our facebook wall…they are not "pinned" as interests. Those thoughts, they plague us.
Our thought life can set us free or shackle us.
Janine and I feel that it is crucial to develop a practice of “taking our thoughts captive”. Holding them in time and space and then if proven toxic…releasing them to the garbage where they belong. The exercise that we have developed for this week of the challenge is one that acknowledges we all have thoughts that are not always building or encouraging. They are a force to be reckoned with. While standing in front of our mirrors “exposed” we certainly may be filled with words or phrases that are not constructive. They also might follow us through carpool, to a business luncheon, or even creep in while having a peaceful quiet time alone. No matter what moment of the day a thought floats in; if it is an unwelcomed ‘intruder”, recognize it as such. Take the thought captive. Don’t soul search and wonder where it came from or why it is there…and certainly don’t entertain it…simply ask it to be gone. Ask it to leave you alone. It was uninvited and must be properly escorted out of your beautiful psyche once and for all.
I make this sound simple and for some it will be. For others we have had tapes playing over and over for years or even decades. This practice will take work. We might take a thought captive and within minutes we must do it again. It might take weeks or months to master. It might even take therapy. This week is a wonderful starting point to acknowledge that we have thoughts that don’t deserve the time that we give them. The sooner we recognize them for what they are: toxic and destructive, the sooner we can request their departure.
Symbolically you might want to write down your negative thoughts…you might want to place them on scraps of paper and trash them…or toss them in to the fire. If you have faith in God, then release them through prayer. Be intentional with your thought life. Find positive words to fill their place. If you don’t have words, borrow a few mine. (Even if you only partially believe them…try mine on for size and see where they take you.)
You are beautiful. A jewel, a rose, a rock, a pearl, a peach, a diamond, a cool breeze, a lily, a shooting star, a sunset, a warm wind, a soft whisper, a strong rhythm, a sparkling waterfall, a moon beam, a princess, a warrior, a mountain, a raging ocean.
You are a play maker, a trend-setter, a peace-provider, a giver, a dreamer, a healer.
You are intelligent, witty, strong, whimsical, unique, passionate, creative, humble, powerful, kind, helpful, honest, and wise.
You were not meant to be shackled...you were made for much more than this.
You are loved, and lovely.
May You Be a Blessing and May you Be Blessed,
Jenni