Our Thoughts Hold Power

Usually on Sundays, I call my friend to check on her and her kids. We also have meaningful conversations that help set us up for a good week. During our conversation, I shared the pastor's sermon at church. The pastor spoke about how we should put more value on our thoughts. That message led us to converse about how important it is to keep the mind strong. 

The mind is the powerhouse of the human body. We often hear about how we should take care of our bodies by exercising and eating healthy; we should treat our minds with the same discipline. It is important to guard our minds from the things that do not serve us well and the thoughts that can lead to spiraling.  While we cannot control what thoughts pop up in our brains, we have the power to control how long a particular thought stays on our minds. 

According to Floyd (2024), thoughts and behaviors are intricately connected, with thoughts influencing emotions, which in turn, impact behaviors. Have you ever thought about how our minds function in a way that's strikingly similar to the TikTok algorithm? Just like TikTok curates content based on what we engage with, our thoughts shape our behavior by the patterns we entertain.

When we focus on certain ideas or feelings, they begin to create a feedback loop. The more we think about something, whether it's positive or negative, the more our minds prioritize it, similar to how TikTok shows us videos that align with our interests. Over time, these recurring thoughts can influence our actions and decisions, subtly guiding us toward specific behaviors.

So, just as we can curate our TikTok feed by choosing what to watch, we have the power to curate our minds by selecting the thoughts we engage with. By focusing on constructive and uplifting ideas, we can reshape our behavior and, ultimately, our lives. When negative thoughts arise, question their validity. Replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations can shift our mindset.

My friend and I challenged each other to continue to train our minds on the things that will serve us well. We know by doing this, we also have to engage with new ideas through books, articles, or podcasts so that we stimulate our minds and expand our perspectives. 

Thoughts that contradict our character should be discarded and not allowed to linger in our minds. We understand that this will be a daily practice.  

The right thoughts can change the reality of our situations. 

Let’s be mindful of what we allow to occupy our minds!

#keepthemindstrong #themindisthepowerhouse #thoughtsdictateourbehavior

Reference

Floyd, E. (2024). The Complex Relationship between Emotions, Thoughts and Behavior. International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology, 11, 418. Retrieved from https://www.longdom.org/open-access/the-complex-relationship-between-emotions-thoughts-and-behavior-1100625.html