Many of you may not know but I grew up in a Christian home and one of my favorite Bible scriptures is Romans 12:2 which states, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (NLT)". Despite your religious beliefs (we honor everyone here), I believe we can all agree that there is a powerful message in that text. Here's my interpretation: Do not be swayed by society's rules, customs, standards, or behaviors. Don't try to conform to what anyone else thinks or says, what you may have been taught, or even your old ways of thinking or believing. Connect with your higher self, your divine creator, your womb space, and change the way you think. Only by doing this will you know the purpose that the Divine Creator/God/Universe/Source has for you which is aligned and predestined for you."
Earlier today I was scrolling on Facebook (as I often do here lately, but don't worry I'm changing that too), and I was disturbed by the posts and reels that I saw. The posts about no good men, haters, the world falling apart, etc. It was as if the whole world swallowed a bitter pill before posting. All I thought to myself was "the mindset of people....." It's like the collective doesn't understand the power of the mind.
Here at HJWB, we believe that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Our spirit governs our mind, our mind tells our body what to do, and the body carries it out. While each aspect of who we are is necessary to our wellbeing, today we are going to focus on the mind. More specifically, the brain.
The Brain is What the Mind Does
Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist. In her book Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, she writes:
"You are a thinking being. You think all day long, and at night as you sleep, you sort out your thinking. As you think, you choose, and as you choose, you cause genetic expression to happen in your brain. This means you make proteins, and these proteins form your thoughts. Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate.
She then goes on to point out statistics and research that proves that our thoughts and imagination can literally alter our DNA and shape our brain. Imagine your brain in your mind's eye. Then imagine that every thought, every memory becomes the neurons that get attached to your brain, like the branches of a tree. That tree either produces life, physically and energetically, or it becomes barren.
Our mind is designed to control our body, which our brain is a part of. We may not be able to control everything around us, but we can control how we respond. We can control what actions we will take on a daily basis. And most importantly, we can control our mind. Research shows that 75 to 98 percent of mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life. So if you want to change your life, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you must change your thoughts.
How to Change Your Thoughts
New research into the human brain suggests that the average human has over 6,000 thoughts per day. That alone shows how powerful and incredible our brain is! You may be thinking how can I have 6,000 thoughts in a day? I don't have that much time on my hands. Here's the reality: most of the time we are not aware of our thoughts. Think about it. We're constantly being sent subtle, subconscious messages throughout the day that trigger thoughts in our mind. Through the conversations we have, the music we listen to, the ads and posts we see on social media, and our own experiences and imaginations. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!
So how do you take control of your thoughts to even begin to change them? Make small, subtle changes to your daily routine. Below are a few ways that I commit to changing my thoughts:
Creating a new morning routine. This is something that I started a while ago and it has helped tremendously. I had this bad habit of reaching for my phone as soon as I woke up. I would scroll on social media, check emails, etc. This allowed for others to alter my mood before I even decided how I wanted to feel or what I wanted my day to be like. Now I begin every morning with my SAVERS: silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing (journaling). I determine my mood and build my energetic space before I do anything else.
Be mindful of what I ingest. This goes for everything. The music I listen to, the foods I eat, the conversations I have. Everything that we take in becomes a part of our DNA, physically and energetically so it's important to be aware of what we take in. This isn't to say that we can't ever indulge in a little guilty pleasure here and there, but everything in moderation. You have to protect your temple. My motto is "observe, not absorb".
Unfollow any social media accounts that do not produce healthy thoughts. Have you ever looked at someone's post and it totally altered your mood? Either it made you bitter or you suddenly were hit by the green-eyed monster? I used to think that I had to be connected to everyone on social media because my light would impact them but the truth is, with all the new algorithms, there's no telling if they even see my stuff but I know I can see there's. I have made a point of unfollowing pages that constantly produce negative feelings and emotions. One like or follow is not worth my peace of mind.
Shut down negative self-talk. I deal with anxiety and unfortunately, that means that sometimes I can create horrible stories in my head before anything ever happens. I was watching a sermon on faith last week and the pastor said "anxiety is the product of fear and imagination." What's imagination? The thoughts and ideas created in the mind. So in order to combat my anxiety, I monitor my self-talk. Although we may not hear all 6000 thoughts our brain has in a day, it is safe to say that we hear ourselves way more than we hear anyone else. Allowing our brain to create negative self-talk and thoughts only ensures that we will recreate negative actions, habits, and cycles. Make a habit of shutting those thoughts down when they come and soon you will only speak life and positivity to yourself.
Make growth and personal development a priority. How do you combat old ways? By introducing new ones. It's not enough that we stop doing the things that we used to do or the thoughts we used to have, we must introduce new thoughts and ideas into our lives. Spend at least 30 minutes a day on personal development and watch how you grow in every area of your life.
Remember, you have the power to create the life you want. Your mind is a powerful tool. Transform your mind and transform your life!
I want to hear from you: How will you commit to transforming your mind?
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