Who controls your mind and the thoughts that occupy it?
Are you able to decide what thoughts to think and which ones to reject?
What about other people’s thoughts, the thoughts of the people you meet, and the ideas and information you get from the T.V. Internet and social media? Do they occupy your attention?
They sure do.
Most people are not aware of all the thoughts that pass through their minds since most thinking is done in an automatic manner.
The mind sometimes acts like a small child who accepts and takes for granted whatever it sees or hears without judgment and without considering the consequences. If you let your mind behave this way, you lose your freedom.
We are constantly flooded with thoughts, ideas, and information from the five senses, other people, the newspapers, TV, and social media. These thoughts, ideas, and information penetrate the mind and affect our actions and state of mind, whether we are aware of this process or not.
This flow of thoughts affects our behavior and reactions. It influences how we think, our preferences, likes, and dislikes. Usually, we accept these thoughts automatically, letting them shape our lives. This actually means that we lose our mental freedom.
The Source of Your Thoughts
- Do you think and believe that all your thoughts originate from you?
- Have you ever stopped to consider whether your thoughts, desires, likes, and dislikes are really yours?
- Did it occur to you that maybe they came from the outside, from other people, and you have unconsciously accepted them as your own?
After reading the above words, do you still believe that you control your mind, or powers outside yourself control it?
If you do not filter the thoughts that enter your mind, you stop to be a free person and allow every thought to control your life.
You may object, and say that the thoughts that pass through your mind are yours, but are they?
Have you deliberately and attentively created every thought that entered your mind?
As said earlier, we are subjected to much information daily, coming through family, colleagues, and teachers, radio, TV, newspapers, and, of course, the social media.
This information shapes our opinions and thoughts.
- Why let outside influences control your mind and your life?
- Why allow other people’s thoughts control your life and mind?
- Do you want to be free to choose your thoughts, or do you prefer to enslave your to other people’s opinions and thoughts?
If you leave your mind open to every thought that passes by, you put our life in other people’s hands, and without realizing it, you accept their thoughts and act in accordance with them.
Every person is differently affected by external thoughts. Certain thoughts and ideas we ignore, and others spur us to immediate action. Thoughts about things we love have more power on us than other thoughts. However, if we are frequently exposed to thoughts and ideas that we don’t care about, we eventually, we allow them to affect us.
Everyone has desires, ambitions and dreams that he or she may foster from childhood. However, it is possible that some of them are the thoughts of parents, teachers and friends, which have lodged into their mind.
Are these thoughts necessary? Do we need all this excessive baggage?
How to Control the Thoughts the Enter Your Mind
You do not have to accept each and every thought that enters your mind. To be able to do so, you need a certain degree of the ability to control your mind and thoughts. You can gain this ability when you teach your mind to focus on one thing at a time.
In order to reduce the power of outside influences and thoughts on your life, you need to be aware of the thoughts and desires that enter your mind, and ask yourself, whether you really like them and want them, and whether you are willing to accept them into your life.
Follow these steps:
1. Find a place where you can be alone for a few minutes and pay attention to your thoughts.
Do not think about anything in particular, just be aware of the thoughts that pass through your mind, and ask yourself whether these are your own thoughts or someone else’s thoughts.
You will surprised to discover that most of them are unimportant thoughts, which are a reaction to your environment, the people around you, or to events in your life.
2. Also, decide whether the thoughts are useful for you, and if they are for your own good to follow. This will lead to more control over your thinking process.
This is the first step on the way to free your mind of outside influences and learn to control. This is the first step to being able to choose your own thoughts.
It might not be so easy do at first, because your mind will probably revolt against this control. However, if you want to be the master of your mind and life, you should not let other people’s thoughts rule your life.
Do you want to master your thoughts? Read the book How to Focus Your Mind
Image source – DepositPhotos
