Change Your Stinkin' Thinkin', Change Your Life!
Posted on December 27, 2012 by Shana Love, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
This article gives a brief summary and unique perspective on the power of our thoughts to influence our reality.
One of my favorite quotes is by William James. He eloquently summarized a core concept common to therapy, self-help, coaching & spiritual practice when he said, “The greatest weapon against stress is the ability to choose one thought over another.” What if you could minimize stress and create positive changes in your life by simply changing what you think about? Well, you can!
Master coaches like Michael Neill have helped people produce life-altering, positive changes by teaching them how to examine their values and beliefs, and choose their thoughts to get what they really want in life.
There is a reciprocal relationship between what we think and what we experience. It is common knowledge that our beliefs and values come from nature & nurture (our upbringing and our experience of the world). For those that want to have an active role in creating an optimal life for themselves, it’s critical to bear in mind that our experience of the world is also shaped by our values and beliefs. Values & beliefs produce thoughts which collectively become the filter through which we perceive the world. Be they negative or positive, life will show up in ways that reinforce them. Conversely, our responses to those life experiences (based on our thoughts & beliefs) will create more of the same types of experiences. It’s a cycle & self-fulfilling prophecy.
Tony Robbins, the “Father of the Coaching Industry,” explains that one of the most important steps to creating change in your life is to shift your focus. In other words, consciously select what you think about. Ask yourself, “What would change in my life if I focused on the things I really want and on positive thoughts that promote my greatest good?” Based on current scientific research and thousands of years of practical application, the results you’ll get will be dramatic!
We all have self-limiting beliefs that engender self-limiting behaviors. But we also have free will which gives us the privilege of choice. Most of us find it nearly impossible to change our beliefs because we base our identities on them. After all, they’re called beliefs because we “BELIEVE” them. However, for most of us, our beliefs don’t serve us well and in order to get more of what we truly want in life and live more fully, it will require, modifying our beliefs at the least, or swapping them out completely. The exciting thing is that you can choose the beliefs that serve you best even if they don’t quite line up with reality. What I’m advocating here is not being delusional. I’m proposing that you proactively shape your reality by consciously choosing your beliefs instead of being a victim of unconscious forces.
We are co-creators of reality by design. Quantum physics and ancient sages agree that we influence our experience of life by our expectations, intentions and actions. The biblical quote “faith is the substance of things not seen” is also a reference to the power of manifesting what we believe in. When we think negatively and expect the worst, that is most likely what we’ll get. That kind of mindset is what’s referred to as “stinkin’ thinkin’”. You can start practicing re-framing or replacing stinkin; thinkin’ and beliefs that don’t serve you for ones that reinforce your highest good right now. Start with this empowering thought: The whole world is conspiring for my well-being and success. Practice thinking it & saying it out loud. You may notice immediate physiological effects like muscle relaxation or the feeling of peace. Continue to practice this mantra and see what shifts in your life over the next month.
Challenging one’s own beliefs and changing thought patterns is not easy for most people. And these are only two of the tactics it takes to produce sustainable positive change in life. Having a coach in your corner can accelerate your progress and be a catalyst for bringing about your optimal life. Contact me for your free 20 minute consultation to determine how I can facilitate the breakthroughs you desire in any area of your life.
Shana@alephcoachingandconsulting.com
