What are You Thinking?

Now you know as the world’s foremost purveyor of the importance of thought, albeit self disclosed, the topic of thought has always intrigued me. It is literally the difference between a good and a bad life. It is the only thing in this world that you can control. It is the gatekeeper to your heart from whence come the issues of your life. It is the one thing that human beings can do that none of the animals can do. (Not really) Yet for all that it is and for all of the grand impact it has on how we live, we scarce give it any real attention. We do not take the time to think. We are all wrapped in this ruse proclaiming we don’t have enough time. Then we sort of blunder through life hitting chance good bits, but mostly running into frustration and anxiety. We carry around this growing backlog of things bothering us, now nameless and faceless, threatening us or else making us feel bad all day long. Yet, for all that, we busy ourselves with tasks and to-do’s, followed by a night of mindless television. Indeed, no time to think. So my question for you is simple, what are you thinking?

I think it might astound you to learn what clarity and resolution can be found in some quiet time to think. Nothing pressuring you to move or finish something. Just taking the time to ask yourself the hard questions, the ones you’ve been avoiding. As much as you try to skirt it, you already know what’s bothering you. You already are well aware of how you feel each day. You know if you are having a good time or not so much. So why not give it some thought? Why not ask a few questions first to yourself, then if needed seek higher. But, for goodness sakes, ask the questions. Think about the things you have been trying not to think about. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean open your mind to worries and fears. You owe those reckless thoughts nothing. I mean the parts of your life in need of remedy. Now I recognize you might not be living amidst a disaster. I’m talking about needed revisions. The things that are bothering you and you know what they are because…they are bothering you. Before you can begin any journey towards healing or restoration, you first have to be honest about what isn’t right. And to do that my friends, you are going to need a little time. Figure out what you are thinking about.

Can you imagine how many of our problems or so-called problems are a function of wrong thought? How many things plague us throughout a day because of erroneous beliefs we are dragging around with us, like old, worn out friends? Hey, they were fun in high school but not so much anymore. They have overstayed their welcome. But, how would you even begin to know when you haven’t taken the time to think? Think about what you are thinking about? Are you angry all the time? That old anger is coming from somewhere likely once or twice removed. What are you thinking? We all need to slow down a little. We have to relearn how to be okay sitting still without distractions and focusing in on some important topic. How I love to get up in the morning and have my daily therapy session with my Heavenly Father via Morning Pages! I lay it all out there man, without censure. I get real honest with myself about my own foolishness without fear of retribution or judgment from my Counselor. It’s time to think, don’t you see it? It’s time for clarity and answers. It’s learning that I have so much more to learn. It’s being willing to finally admit I don’t know! Then, like a well written psalm, relief comes. Light shines. Mental stinky-ness gets exposed. Now, I’m that much better for the day. Now, I’m ready to do something. Now, my head is clear to live and thrive and keep questing. Why? Because I took the time to think.

Imagine how much better things would be around us right now if people got back to doing their own thinking. That ancient ritual we did where we took the time to process information and drew our own conclusions from there. A time when we refused this mob mentality demanding we stand for things that escape us. Thinking keeps you in the center instead of being dragged too far left and too far right. People today have become embroiled in surface thinking. A time when something can walk like a duck, talk like a duck, yet somehow not be a duck. People don’t have to worry about crazy people leading them to destruction if they would just think for themselves. I was born a Dallas Cowboy’s fan yet am smart enough to know everything they do isn’t right. People have allowed themselves to be charged up, not about objective reality, but by refusing to think through what is being said and what is being done. We don’t follow who is right. We follow what is right and what is right has been buried beneath things that aren’t true and quite obviously not true with a little thought. You don’t have to foment and rage over things that are true. That is reserved for the defense of other people’s ideas, ones you have yet to really think through. So again, what are you thinking?

Life is not a random game of chance where you might stumble upon a small patch of good luck. Life has a beautiful design and an order to it. God gave us a magnificent mind to experience this life with and complete control over it. He blessed us with the privilege to believe things in our hearts and then receive those things into our lives. Of all the things you can choose to pay attention to, take heed of your mind and what it is you think. In so doing, you have nothing but success up ahead. (Get it?)

Just some good thoughts…